wither

1 of 2

verb

with·​er ˈwi-t͟hər How to pronounce wither (audio)
withered; withering
ˈwit͟h-riŋ,
ˈwi-t͟hə- How to pronounce wither (audio)

intransitive verb

1
: to become dry and sapless
especially : to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture
2
: to lose vitality, force, or freshness
public support for the bill is withering

transitive verb

1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
withered him with a lookDorothy Sayers

wither

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British

Examples of wither in a Sentence

Verb The plants withered and died. shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program withered
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
After having a portrait done by the talented painter Basil, Dorian longs for the picture to age and wither instead of him. Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 21 May 2025 Paramount has let its cable TV channels like MTV and VH1 wither with a lack of programming, though CBS remains relevant thanks to its sports and entertainment portfolio. Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 May 2025 Bobrovsky held up against Carolina’s withering start and made multiple big stops all night. Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 19 May 2025 The hits have kept on coming in 2025, as tariff uncertainty has withered demand further and forced Polaris to pull its 2025 guidance. Brett Owens, Forbes.com, 18 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wither

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English widren; probably akin to Middle English weder weather

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun

1607, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wither was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wither.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wither. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

wither

verb
with·​er
ˈwit͟h-ər
withered; withering
-(ə-)riŋ
1
: to shrivel from or as if from loss of bodily moisture and especially sap
the crops withered during the drought
2
: to lose liveliness, force, or freshness
support for the candidate withered

Biographical Definition

Wither

biographical name

With·​er ˈwi-t͟hər How to pronounce Wither (audio)
George 1588–1667 English poet and pamphleteer

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