wither

wither
    v 1: wither, as with a loss of moisture; "The fruit dried and
         shriveled" [syn: {shrivel}, {shrivel up}, {shrink},
         {wither}]
    2: lose freshness, vigor, or vitality; "Her bloom was fading"
       [syn: {fade}, {wither}]
    

Wither \With"er\, v. t.
   1. To cause to fade, and become dry.
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            The sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but
            it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof
            falleth.                              --James i. 11.
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   2. To cause to shrink, wrinkle, or decay, for want of animal
      moisture. "Age can not {wither} her." --Shak.
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            Shot forth pernicious fire
            Among the accursed, that withered all their
            strength.                             --Milton.
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   3. To cause to languish, perish, or pass away; to blight; as,
      a reputation withered by calumny.
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            The passions and the cares that wither life.
                                                  --Bryant.
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Wither \With"er\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Withered}; p. pr. & vb.
   n. {Withering}.] [OE. wideren; probably the same word as
   wederen to weather (see {Weather}, v. & n.); or cf. G.
   verwittern to decay, to be weather-beaten, Lith. vysti to
   wither.]
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   1. To fade; to lose freshness; to become sapless; to become
      sapless; to dry or shrivel up.
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            Shall he hot pull up the roots thereof, and cut off
            the fruit thereof, that it wither?    --Ezek. xvii.
                                                  9.
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   2. To lose or want animal moisture; to waste; to pin? away,
      as animal bodies.
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            This is man, old, wrinkled, faded, withered. --Shak.
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            There was a man which had his hand withered. --Matt.
                                                  xii. 10.
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            Now warm in love, now with'ring in the grave.
                                                  --Dryden.
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   3. To lose vigor or power; to languish; to pass away. "Names
      that must not wither." --Byron.
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            States thrive or wither as moons wax and wane.
                                                  --Cowper.
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83 Moby Thesaurus words for "wither":
      Sanforize, age, air-dry, anhydrate, attenuate, bake, blot, brush,
      burn, cave in, cheat the undertaker, collapse, constrict, consume,
      contract, cure, decline, deflate, dehumidify, dehydrate, desiccate,
      diminish, dodder, drain, droop, dry, dry up, dwindle, emacerate,
      emaciate, evaporate, exsiccate, fade, fade away, fail, fire, flag,
      fold, get along, get on, grow old, insolate, kiln, languish,
      lose strength, macerate, mummify, mummy, parch, peak, pine,
      preshrink, rub, run down, scorch, sear, shake, shrink, shrivel,
      sink, smoke, soak up, sponge, sun, sun-dry, swab, thin, torrefy,
      totter, towel, turn gray, turn white, wane, waste, waste away,
      weaken, weazen, welter, wilt, wipe, wither away, wizen, wrinkle