wither
verb
with·er
| \ ˈwi-t͟hər
\
\
withered;
withering\ ˈwit͟h-riŋ
, ˈwi-t͟hə- \
, ˈwi-t͟hə- \
Definition of wither
(Entry 1 of 3)
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
1
: to cause to wither
2
: to make speechless or incapable of action : stun
withered him with a look— Dorothy Sayers
wither
nounDefinition of wither (Entry 2 of 3)
chiefly British
: withers
Wither
biographical name
With·er
| \ ˈwi-t͟hər
\
\
Definition of Wither (Entry 3 of 3)
George 1588–1667 English poet and pamphleteer
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Examples of wither in a Sentence
Verb
The plants withered and died. shortly after the moon landing, interest in the space program witheredRecent Examples on the Web: Verb
The religion has since withered, especially in the United States, where there are thought to be no more than 150,000 adherents. — Los Angeles Times, "At this Florida camp, believers can ask for healing or a chat with the dead," 2 Sep. 2019 His defiance withered, though, as criticism from China mounted. — The Economist, "Why China’s assault on Cathay Pacific should scare all foreign firms," 22 Aug. 2019 Behind a terrific pitching performance, Houston's hitters withered. — Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros drop 13-inning marathon to Athletics for 4th loss in a row," 17 Aug. 2019 Without grazers to fertilize the soil, grasses withered; without grasses to soak up water, the soil got wetter. — Katie Orlinsky, National Geographic, "Arctic permafrost is thawing fast. That affects us all.," 16 Aug. 2019 Extreme heat withers crops, fiercer rainstorms degrade fields, and rising seas erode farmland. — Matt Simon, WIRED, "New IPCC Report Shows How Our Abuse of Land Drives Climate Change," 8 Aug. 2019 In a memorable moment on the first night, Representative Tim Ryan, of Ohio, withered in a confrontation with Representative Tulsi Gabbard, of Hawaii, about the U.S. military’s presence in Afghanistan. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, "The Democratic Primary’s Moving Margins," 30 June 2019 The excellent brigand’s hat pasta, strewn with meaty honeycombs of wild morel mushrooms and withered ramps in springtime, turns into a more keenly aromatic dish by June: now it’s chanterelle mushrooms lathered in basil-intensive butter. — Patricia Escárcega, latimes.com, "Spago at middle age: Is Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant still relevant?," 27 June 2019 Clinton, a Washington overlord, was withered by Trump’s onslaught. — Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, "No One Really Wants to ‘Send Her Back’," 20 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wither.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for wither
wither
verb
English Language Learners Definition of wither
of a plant
: to become dry and weak
See the full definition for wither in the English Language Learners Dictionary
wither
verb
with·er
| \ ˈwi-t͟hər
\
\
withered;
withering
Kids Definition of wither
: to shrivel or cause to shrivel from or as if from loss of moisture : wilt
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