withering
wi·ther·ing/ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
withering is spelled W-I-T-H-E-R-I-N-G: 9 letters and 3 syllables (wi·ther·ing). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, withering means “Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm, or cause complete destruction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in withering?
| Letters | 9: W-I-T-H-E-R-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3: wi·ther·ing |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,176th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is withering?
Withering appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,176th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce withering?
- /ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/
Withering has 3 syllables, split wi·ther·ing in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-withering.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of withering
- more withering comparative
- most withering superlative
- witherings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does withering mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm, or cause complete destruction.
The D-Day troops came under withering fire.
- 2
Diminishing rapidly.
The playboy seemed oblivious to his withering fortune as he continued in his decadent lifestyle.
- 3
Tending to make someone feel small; scornful in a mortifying way.
Jane's mother in law gave her a withering look.
noun
- 1
The process by which something withers.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of wither
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Withering in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | vernichtend, zerstörerisch, alleszerstörend , schwindend, dahinschwindend , verächtlich |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does withering come from?
From wither + -ing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).