Meaning & use
withering
Last updated
Extremely harsh or scornful; also describing something that is shriveling or drying up.
See it in a sentence
The critic wrote a withering review that mocked every part of the film.
The withering plants in the garden needed water badly.
A note on using this word
In its figurative sense (a withering look, a withering remark), it describes criticism so harsh it seems to "shrivel" its target, echoing the literal meaning of plants drying up.
Words with a similar meaning
scathingshriveling
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
flourishing
Make it your own
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