# wither

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈwɪðɚ/ · frequency rank #28,431

## Definitions
1. To shrivel, droop or dry up, especially from lack of water.
2. To cause to shrivel or dry up.
3. To lose vigour or power; to languish; to waste away; to pass away.
4. To become helpless due to emotion.
5. To make helpless due to emotion.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **within** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wither-vs-within)
- **writer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wither-vs-writer)
- **witted** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wither-vs-witted)
- **withers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wither-vs-withers)
- **withered** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wither-vs-withered)
- **with** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/with-vs-wither)
- **Water** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/water-vs-wither)
- **wider** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wider-vs-wither)
- **wiser** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wiser-vs-wither)
- **wiper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wiper-vs-wither)
- **winter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winter-vs-wither)
- **winner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winner-vs-wither)
- **wishes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wishes-vs-wither)
- **wished** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wished-vs-wither)
- **waiter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/waiter-vs-wither)
- **winger** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/winger-vs-wither)
- **wilder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wilder-vs-wither)
- **washer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/washer-vs-wither)
- **wiener** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wiener-vs-wither)
- **wicker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/wicker-vs-wither)

## Common misspellings (9)
`iwther`, `wihter`, `witehr`, `witherr`, `withher`, `withre`, `witther`, `wtiher`, `wwither`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/wither