wither

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈwɪðɚ/ UK /ˈwɪðə/ See IPA manual

Freq #17419

Meanings

1

verb
To dry up, droop, or shrink, especially from lack of water.

The flowers began to wither in the hot sun without enough water.
2

verb
To gradually lose strength, freshness, or energy.

Public support for the project slowly withered over the years.
3

verb
To cause something to dry up or shrink.

The frost withered the young plants overnight.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to dry up, droop, or... shrink

2 verb · to gradually lose strength,... fade

Word family

Forms unwitheredwitheredwitheringwithers

Simplified etymology

Wither appeared in late Middle English and seems originally to have been the same word as Old English weather, the two forms later specializing in different senses. Their deeper ancestry is Germanic and is linked to wind.

Etymology

From Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”). More at weather.

widren Middle English wederen Middle English wederian Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# wither

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˈwɪðɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈwɪðə/
**Frequency rank:** 17419

## Meanings
1. To dry up, droop, or shrink, especially from lack of water.
2. To gradually lose strength, freshness, or energy.
3. To cause something to dry up or shrink.

## Examples
- The flowers began to wither in the hot sun without enough water.
- Public support for the project slowly withered over the years.
- The frost withered the young plants overnight.

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: widren
- Root: wederen
- Root: wederian

## Etymology
From Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Cognates From Proto-Germanic: Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”). More at weather.

## AI Etymology
Wither is from Middle English widren, wydderen (“to dry up, shrivel”), related to or perhaps an alteration of Middle English wederen (“to expose to weather”), from Old English wederian (“to expose to weather, exhibit a change of weather”). Proto-Germanic cognates include Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”). More at weather. In present-day use, it can mean to dry up, droop, or shrink, especially from lack of water, or to gradually lose strength, freshness, or energy.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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