Meaning & use

wither

verb·Academic

To become dry, shriveled, and lifeless, or to gradually lose strength, vigor, or importance.

See it in a sentence

The flowers began to wither within a day of being cut from the garden.

Support for the proposal withered once voters learned about its real cost.

A note on using this word

Wither applies literally to plants losing moisture and figuratively to hopes, support, or relationships that weaken over time.

Words with a similar meaning

shrivelfadedecline

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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