Synonyms

wither

¹ American

[with-er] / ˈwɪð ər /

verb (used without object)

to shrivel; fade; decay.

The grapes had withered on the vine.

Synonyms:

waste, droop, languish, decline, dry, shrink, wrinkle
to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed byaway ).

verb (used with object)

to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc..

The drought withered the buds.
to affect harmfully.

Reputations were withered by the scandal.
to abash, as by a scathing glance.

a look that withered him.

Synonyms:

shame, humiliate

Wither ² American

[with-er] / ˈwɪð ər /

Also Withers

noun

George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

wither British

/ ˈwɪðə /

verb

(intr) (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up
to fade or waste

all hope withered away
(intr) to decay, decline, or disintegrate
(tr) to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality
(tr) to abash, esp with a scornful look
(tr) to harm or damage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

Wither, shrivel imply a shrinking, wilting, and wrinkling. Wither (of plants and flowers) is to dry up, shrink, wilt, fade, whether as a natural process or as the result of exposure to excessive heat or drought: Plants withered in the hot sun. Shrivel, used of thin, flat objects and substances, such as leaves, the skin, etc., means to curl, roll up, become wrinkled: The leaves shrivel in cold weather. Paper shrivels in fire.

Other Word Forms

nonwithering adjective
overwithered adjective
unwithered adjective
unwithering adjective
withered adjective
witheredness noun
witherer noun
withering adjective
witheringly adverb

Etymology

Origin of wither

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (verb)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

My skills will not be allowed to wither.

From Literature

I looked at Gran’s frail and withered frame.

From Literature

He worries the tourism business that fuels his community will wither.

From The Wall Street Journal

And the latest additions add to the depth Vanney will need to weather a withering schedule.

From Los Angeles Times

Across rebel-held cities and towns, supermarket shelves sit empty while crops wither in inaccessible fields and go bad at rebel checkpoints.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023