Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, 3rd person singular presenttense withers, present participle withering, past tense, past participle withered
1. verb
If someone or something withers, they become very weak.
When he went into retirement, he visibly withered. [VERB]
Industries unable to modernise have been left to wither. [VERB]
Wither away means the same as wither.
To see my body literally wither away before my eyes was exasperating. [VERBPARTICLE]
2. verb
If a flower or plant withers, it dries up and dies.
The flowers in Isabel's room had withered. [VERB]
Farmers in the Midwest have watched their crops wither because of drought conditions. [VERB]
Synonyms: wilt, dry, decline, shrink More Synonyms of wither
witheredgraded adjective [usually ADJECTIVE noun]
...a mound of withered leaves.
His fridge was bare apart from three very withered tomatoes.
3. plural noun
The highest part of a horse's back, behind its neck, is referred to as its withers.
Phrasal verbs:
See wither away
More Synonyms of wither
wither in British English
(ˈwɪðə)
verb
1. (intransitive)
(esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up
2. (intransitive; often foll byaway)
to fade or waste
all hope withered away
3. (intransitive)
to decay, decline, or disintegrate
4. (transitive)
to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality
5. (transitive)
to abash, esp with a scornful look
6. (transitive)
to harm or damage
Derived forms
withered (ˈwithered)
adjective
witherer (ˈwitherer)
noun
withering (ˈwithering)
adjective
witheringly (ˈwitheringly)
adverb
Word origin
C14: perhaps variant of weather (vb); related to German verwittern to decay
wither in American English
(ˈwɪðər)
verb intransitive
1.
to dry up, as from great heat; shrivel; wilt
said esp. of plants
2.
to lose vigor or freshness; become wasted or decayed
3.
to weaken; languish
affection that soon withered
verb transitive
4.
to cause to wither
5.
to cause to quail or feel abashed, as by a scornful glance
Derived forms
witheringly (ˈwitheringly)
adverb
Word origin
ME widren, var. of wederen, lit., to weather, expose to the weather < weder, weather
More idioms containing
wither
wither on the vine
Examples of 'wither' in a sentence
wither
This would drive up quality, with poor schools withering away.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I quite like the idea of looking withered and weird with an overly long fringe and too much eyeliner on.
The Sun (2016)
You know from your marriage that being together years beforehand isn't a foolproof remedy and sometimes a relationship can wither away.
The Sun (2016)
A spokesman for the Indian government offered a withering assessment of the call.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Old flower stems can produce new blooms if you cut off all the withered flowers.
The Sun (2012)
You should have seen the withering look he shot them.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Will your money wither and die before you do?
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The boozy ways of the newsdesk were withering away anyway.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Why will sport endure long after more vacuous forms of entertainment wither on the vine?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The combination of his financial acumen and withering attack appeared to have the desired effect.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The music stops and we are met with a withering look.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
That my hopes of regaining more mobility would gently wither and die.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The industry has already withered on the vine.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
She pauses to give a cup of tea placed slightly too far away a withering look.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
As they die the muscles wither and stop working.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He had a year in hospital and withered away to six stone.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Somehow these reports seem to have withered on the vine.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Men and animals became weary, and plants withered under the powerful rays of the sun.
Christianity Today (2000)
She was mistress of the withering put-down.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The grass withered and the flower faded dutifully, note by note and line by line.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Yet it does not stop the multi-millionaire launching another withering attack.
The Sun (2007)
A sudden tragic bouquet of withered flowers beside a road.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
An athletic body was withering away, losing 3½ stone in three weeks.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The Dragons are ready to rip their dreams apart with a scathing put-down or withering look.
The Sun (2009)
Q CAN you tell me why the buds on my jasmine plant have withered?
The Sun (2009)
In other languages
wither
British English: wither VERB
If someone or something withers, they become very weak.
When he went into retirement, he visibly withered.
American English: wither
Brazilian Portuguese: murchar
Chinese: 变虚弱
European Spanish: marchitarse
French: dépérir
German: verkümmern
Italian: appassire
Japanese: 弱まる
Korean: 약해지다
European Portuguese: murchar
Latin American Spanish: marchitarse
Chinese translation of 'wither'
wither
(ˈwɪðəʳ)
vi
[flower, plant]枯萎 (kūwěi)
(= become weak) 衰败(敗) (shuāibài)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make or become dried up or shrivelled
Farmers have watched their crops wither because of the drought.
Synonyms
wilt
The roses wilted the day after she bought them.
dry
decline
Her father's health has declined significantly in recent months.
shrink
decay
The work ethic in this country has decayed over the past 30 years.
disintegrate
perish
The rubber lining had perished.
languish
He continues to languish in prison.
droop
Support for him is beginning to droop amongst voters.
shrivel
desiccate
Opposites
develop
,
thrive
,
flourish
,
bloom
,
blossom
2 (verb)
Definition
to fade or waste
His leg muscles had withered from lack of use.
Synonyms
waste
a cruel disease which wastes the muscles
decline
shrink
The vast forests have shrunk.
shrivel
The plant shrivels and dies.
atrophy
His muscle atrophied, and he had difficulty walking.
3 (verb)
Definition
to fade or waste
His dream of being a famous footballer withered and died.
Synonyms
fade
After that all her worries faded away.
decline
a declining birth rate
wane
His interest in art to wane.
perish
Opposites
increase,
develop
,
succeed
,
flourish
,
bloom
,
wax
,
blossom
,
prosper
4 (verb)
Definition
to humiliate (someone) with a scornful look or remark
Mary withered me with a glance.
Synonyms
humiliate
His teacher continually humiliates him in maths lessons.
blast
shame
Her son's behaviour had humiliated and shamed her.
put down
snub
He snubbed her in public and made her feel an idiot.
mortify
His dancing always mortified his friends.
abash
Additional synonyms
in the sense of atrophy
Definition
to waste away
His muscle atrophied, and he had difficulty walking.
Synonyms
waste away,
waste,
shrink,
diminish,
deteriorate,
decay,
dwindle,
wither,
wilt,
degenerate,
shrivel
in the sense of blast
Synonyms
blight,
kill,
blitz,
wither,
shrivel
in the sense of decay
Definition
to decline gradually in health, prosperity, or quality
The work ethic in this country has decayed over the past 30 years.
Synonyms
decline,
sink,
break down,
diminish,
dissolve,
crumble,
deteriorate,
fall off,
dwindle,
lessen,
wane,
disintegrate,
degenerate
Synonyms of 'wither'
wither
Explore 'wither' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of decline
Definition
to become smaller, weaker, or less important
Her father's health has declined significantly in recent months.
Synonyms
deteriorate,
fade,
weaken,
pine,
decay,
worsen,
lapse,
languish,
degenerate,
droop
in the sense of decline
Definition
to become smaller, weaker, or less important
a declining birth rate
Synonyms
fall,
fail,
drop,
contract,
lower,
sink,
flag,
fade,
shrink,
diminish,
decrease,
slow down,
fall off,
dwindle,
lessen,
wane,
ebb,
slacken
in the sense of droop
Definition
to be overcome by weariness
Support for him is beginning to droop amongst voters.
Synonyms
flag,
decline,
fade,
slump,
diminish,
wither,
wilt,
languish
in the sense of languish
Definition
to suffer deprivation, hardship, or neglect
He continues to languish in prison.
Synonyms
decline,
waste away,
fade away,
wither away,
flag,
weaken,
wilt,
sicken
in the sense of mortify
Definition
to make someone feel ashamed or embarrassed
His dancing always mortified his friends.
Synonyms
humiliate,
disappoint,
embarrass,
shame,
crush,
annoy,
humble,
put someone down,
deflate,
vex,
affront,
displease,
chagrin,
discomfit,
abase,
put someone to shame,
take someone down a peg (informal),
abash,
make someone eat humble pie (informal)
in the sense of perish
Definition
to rot or cause to rot
The rubber lining had perished.
Synonyms
rot,
waste away,
break down,
decay,
wither,
disintegrate,
decompose,
moulder
in the sense of shame
Definition
to cause to feel shame
Her son's behaviour had humiliated and shamed her.
Synonyms
embarrass,
disgrace,
humiliate,
humble,
disconcert,
mortify,
take (someone) down a peg (informal),
abash
in the sense of shrink
Definition
to become or cause to become smaller, sometimes because of wetness, heat, or cold
The vast forests have shrunk.
Synonyms
decrease,
dwindle,
lessen,
grow or get smaller,
contract,
narrow,
diminish,
fall off,
shorten,
wrinkle,
wither,
drop off,
deflate,
shrivel,
downsize
in the sense of shrivel
Definition
to become dry and withered
The plant shrivels and dies.
Synonyms
wither,
dry (up),
wilt,
shrink,
wrinkle,
dwindle,
dehydrate,
desiccate,
wizen
in the sense of snub
Definition
to insult (someone) deliberately
He snubbed her in public and made her feel an idiot.