Other forms: withers, withered, withering
To wither is to dry up and shrivel — a flower without water, leaves in a heatwave, a plant left too long in a hot window. The picture is of something losing its moisture and its shape at the same time.
From that comes a figurative use that is common in writing: hopes wither, support withers away, an industry withers. It always means a slow shrinking rather than a sudden end, which is what separates it from collapse. A withering look or a withering remark is one so scornful it makes the person on the receiving end shrink — a nice piece of the same picture applied to a face. Note wither and whither, which sound alike; whither is an archaic word meaning to where.
1verbwitherOf a plant, to dry up and shrivel.
“The roses withered in the heat.”
2verbgrowTo grow gradually weaker and disappear.
“Support for the scheme withered over the winter.”
3verbfeelTo make somebody feel small with a look or a remark.
“She withered him with a single sentence.”
wither is a way of drying and shrinking.
Also accepted in games: wilt
Wither may be weather. Middle English wydderen meant to dry up or shrivel, and it looks like an alteration of wederen, to expose to the weather, which is exactly what withers a plant.
Middle English
widren
English, today
wither
Built from
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”). 2 From Proto-Germanic: Dutch verwederen, Dutch verweren (“to erode by weather”), German verwittern, wittern (“to be ruined by weather; to erode”), Swedish vittra (“wither”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA