ər verb (used without object)
1.
to shrivel; fade; decay: The grapes had withered on the vine.
2.
to lose the freshness of youth, as from age (often followed by away ).
verb (used with object)
3.
to make flaccid, shrunken, or dry, as from loss of moisture; cause to lose freshness, bloom, vigor, etc.: The drought withered the buds.
4.
to affect harmfully: Reputations were withered by the scandal.
5.
to abash, as by a scathing glance: a look that withered him.
00:10
Wither
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is yaff. Does it mean:
| to flee; abscond: |
| to bark; yelp. |
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
Can be confused: 1. weather, whether, whither, wither (see synonym study 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.
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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To wither
Collins
World English Dictionary
wither (ˈwɪðə) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —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 | |
| '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
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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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."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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