wither

3 synonyms and 3 antonyms for wither, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — To shrink, dry up, or lose freshness, especially from lack of water.

Synonyms

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

fade shrink

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

shrivel

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

To shrink, dry up, or lose freshness, especially from lack of water.

“The flowers withered in the summer heat.”

fade shrink shrivel

Opposites

thrive grow

2. verb

To gradually lose strength, vitality, or importance.

“Support for the campaign withered as the months passed.”

Opposites

revive

How to use wither

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

wither away wither in the heat support withers

Etymology

From Middle English widren, related to weather — originally describing something being worn down by exposure to the elements.

Full origin of wither →

Frequently asked questions

What does “wither” mean?

The word “wither” means to shrink, dry up, or lose freshness, especially from lack of water. In plain terms, to dry up and shrink, or to slowly fade away or lose strength.

How do you pronounce “wither”?

“Wither” is pronounced WIH-thuh (/ˈwɪðɚ/ in IPA).

How do you use “wither” in a sentence?

Here is “wither” used in a sentence: “The flowers withered in the summer heat.”

What part of speech is “wither”?

“Wither” is a verb.

Where does the word “wither” come from?

The word “wither” comes from Middle English. From Middle English widren, related to weather — originally describing something being worn down by exposure to the elements.

How many meanings does “wither” have?

“Wither” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to shrink, dry up, or lose freshness, especially from lack of water.

People also searched

grow fade shrink revive thrive shrivel

Nearby words

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