Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

withering

/ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.82 in modern English

Syllables: wi-ther-ing
IPA: /ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm, or cause complete destruction.

adj

Diminishing rapidly.

adj

Tending to make someone feel small; scornful in a mortifying way.

verb

present participle and gerund of wither

noun

The process by which something withers.

name

Example Sentences

"The D-Day troops came under withering fire."
"Before the clearing had been half crossed the Arabs opened up a withering fire from behind the palisade."
"Shockingly, under such a withering combined barrage, the Japanese destroyer promptly exploded and sank in short order, before even having had a chance to unleash her Long Lances. First blood to the USN!"
"The playboy seemed oblivious to his withering fortune as he continued in his decadent lifestyle."
"Go—ask of nature in thy walk. The rose-bud, dying on its stalk, The fading grass—the withering tree, Are emblems of thy fate and thee."
"Jane's mother in law gave her a withering look."

Etymology

From wither + -ing.

Inflected Forms

more withering (comparative) most withering (superlative) witherings (plural)

Phrases

withering abalone syndrome withering away of the state

Synonyms

annihilative annihilating devastating atrophy

Homonyms

whithering (wine–whine merger)

Rhymes With

slithering dithering

Questions

How do you pronounce withering?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈwɪðəɹɪŋ/.
What does withering mean?: Tending to destroy, devastate, overwhelm, or cause complete destruction.
Where does withering come from?: From wither + -ing.

How to pronounce withering

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