wither

Word family

Related topics: Plants

with·er /ˈwɪðə $ -ər/ (also wither away) verb → whither

1. [intransitiveI, transitiveT]HBPDIE if plants wither, or if something withers them, they become drier and smaller and start to die （使）〔植物〕枯萎，干枯

2 [intransitiveI] to gradually become weaker or less successful and then end 逐渐疲弱，每况愈下

His career had withered.

他的职业生涯已每况愈下。

The organization just withered away.

那个组织渐渐解体了。

3 wither on the vine if something withers on the vine, it gradually ends because it is not given enough support 〔因缺乏支持而〕中途夭折，未能成功

The government has allowed the program to wither on the vine by reducing its funding.

政府减少了对该计划的财政支持，使其半途夭折了。

Examples from the Corpus

wither• Boils and sores burst out over his flesh, his body becomes hunched and arthritic, his skin aged and withered.• They uprooted them, as Marshall had uprooted the cannabis, and watched them wither.• Words to express her feelings seemed to wither and die inside her.• Programmes would wither away if they did not command sufficient local support.• He did, however, curtail his withering critique.• And Basho: On a journey, ill, and over fields all withered, dreams go wandering.• Joe was in top form, spinning stories, issuing pronunciamentos, dropping withering quips at every opportunity.• The fame of Anacreon had withered to nothing with the decay of the times.

Origin wither

(1300-1400) Probably from weather “to affect with sun, wind, rain, etc.”

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus