WITHERED

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does withered mean? 

• WITHERED (adjective)
  The adjective WITHERED has 2 senses:

1. lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

2. (used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture

  Familiarity information: WITHERED used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• WITHERED (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness

Synonyms:

shriveled; shrivelled; shrunken; withered; wizen; wizened

Context example:

a wizened little man with frizzy grey hair

Similar:

lean; thin (lacking excess flesh)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(used especially of vegetation) having lost all moisture

Synonyms:

dried-up; sear; sere; shriveled; shrivelled; withered

Context example:

withered vines

Similar:

dry (free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet)

Domain category:

botany; flora; vegetation (all the plant life in a particular region or period)

 Context examples 

The leaves of that year had withered before my work drew near to a close, and now every day showed me more plainly how well I had succeeded.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

The glare from the lights above beat down upon an aged and withered face.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She is in a garden; and near her stands a sharp, dark, withered woman, with a white scar on her lip.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

She wished her hand had withered before she had done so.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

For answer the man stretched out his long withered arm, and placed a gaunt hand upon the shoulder of the actress, whilst she looked up at him with love in her eyes.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

When they came nearer they saw a dwarf with an old withered face and a snow-white beard a yard long.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

To Martin this withered wisp of a creature was a symbol.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

He scowled at Zilla, whose withered lips were again writhing into speech, and compelled her to silence.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

And when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

There was a yellow and withered stump some way off, seen under the drooping branches of a lofty oak.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)