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wither

[with-er]

verb (used without object)

to shrivel; fade; decay: The grapes had withered on the vine.

to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed by away).

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.

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Wither is one of our favorite verbs.

So is fletcherise. Does it mean:

to swindle, cheat, hoodwink, or hoax.

to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.

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Origin:
1250–1300; Middle English, perhaps variant of weather (v.)

Related forms

with·ered·ness, noun

with·er·er, noun

with·er·ing·ly, adverb

non·with·er·ing, adjective

o·ver·with·ered, adjective

EXPAND

un·with·ered, adjective

un·with·er·ing, adjective

COLLAPSE

Can be confused: 1. weather, whether, whither, wither (see synonym note at the current entry); 2. whither, wither.

Synonyms
1. wrinkle, shrink, dry, decline, languish, droop, waste. 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. 5. humiliate, shame.

Example Sentences

When land is idled, the communities around the farms can wither.

Most people reach a point in life where they can choose to wither or to bloom.

Privately funded schools and colleges have seen their endowments and donors' enthusiasm wither.

EXPAND

When land is idled, the communities around the farms can wither.

Most people reach a point in life where they can choose to wither or to bloom.

Privately funded schools and colleges have seen their endowments and donors' enthusiasm wither.

At the same time, synapses that see little use begin to wither.

People who are bedridden for months at a time may develop brittle bones and become weak as their muscles wither with inactivity.

The director left things open for a fourth installment, but mercifully the series was left to wither.

Bulbs are dormant only for a short time after leaves wither add to my plant list.

They're worried that the field will wither before it has a chance to succeed.

The wisest move, in the end, is to carefully let them wither away.

He thinks that in a world of plastic, literally, humans would wither and die.

But the local private sector would continue to wither.

The flowers open in late afternoon, close the next morning, and wither to pink or red-violet.

Believe in nothing and your purpose, and everything about you will wither from disuse.

Bulbs are dormant only for a short time after leaves wither.

Detroit's citizenry has been left to wither with concern and worry.

Under this scenario, the private sector will continue to wither.

The stability pact would surely wither if its chief sponsor defied it for a fourth year running.

During the dry season the majority of the region's water holes wither.

They wither and die towards fall, while the heirlooms keep producing until the freezes set in.

Let the states wither and maybe all of us will be happier and even a bit wealthier.

If miserly, crops will wither and bankruptcy will run virally through the villages.

But they will wither unless the central government throws its weight squarely behind them.

So let's celebrate this film and leave all else to wither.

There is a risk that public and political support might wither in the years without flight.

If governments do not act to curb emissions, those investments will eventually wither.

Blue-collar man has also seen his political influence wither.

Over a longer period, though, once-mighty companies can wither away.

Once customers are in charge, services will have to compete and so improve or wither through lack of support.

Perhaps an improvement in inner-city schools will mean that affirmative action can be allowed to wither on the vine.

The healthy bits get the money, and the unhealthy bits wither.

Those who expected television to wither when it encountered the internet greatly underestimated its ability to adapt.

Why muscles wither is captivating more scientists and drug and food companies, let alone aging baby boomers.

They wither under the weight of schlepping to and fro the.

Good intentions wither fast, especially when it comes to helping the world's poor.

They fester under a rock, and wither and die only when flooded with sunlight.

Why muscles wither with age is captivating a growing number of scientists, drug and food companies and aging baby boomers.

Golden age portraits of blacks did not wither overnight.

Most new companies wither and die in their first few years, leaving their investors out of pocket.

Without this new energy, ambition and imagination, the restaurant business would wither.

But private virtues such as these are as likely to wither as to flourish when public bodies take charge of them.

The tormented, frightened confused heart and mind that should wither the viewer at the end is lacking.

He claims to fear that poor clubs will wither away if deprived of selling players to larger clubs.

Where businessmen can gain access to credit without having to claim kinship, caste affiliations wither.

People who become addicted to heroin wither away and die.

But while wind and solar boom, nuclear and coal orders wither.

COLLAPSE

Dictionary.com Unabridged

noun

George, 1588–1667, English poet and pamphleteer.

Also, With·ers

[with-erz] .

Link To wither

Collins

World English Dictionary

wither (ˈwɪðə)

—vb (often foll by away)
1.	(intr) (esp of a plant) to droop, wilt, or shrivel up
2.	to fade or waste: all hope withered away
3.	(intr) to decay, decline, or disintegrate
4.	(tr) to cause to wilt, fade, or lose vitality
5.	(tr) to abash, esp with a scornful look
6.	(tr) to harm or damage

[C14: perhaps variant of weather (vb); related to German verwittern to decay]

'withered

—*adj*

'witherer

—n

'withering

—*adj*

'witheringly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source

Etymonline

Word Origin & History

wither

1530s, alteration of M.E. wydderen "dry up, shrivel" (c.1300), apparently a differentiated and special use of wederen "to expose to weather" (see weather). Cf. Ger. verwittern "to become weather-beaten," from Witter "weather."

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Related Words

weather whether wilt black tea

blight fireworm shrivel with

Matching Quote

"Although its growth may seem to have been slow, it is to be remembered that it is not a shrub, or plant, to shoot up in the summer and wither in the frosts. The Red Cross is a part of us—it has come to stay—and like the sturdy oak, its spreading branches shall yet encompass and shelter the relief of the nation."

-Clara Barton

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