Withering - English meaning

adjective

(of insects and certain other animals) able to wound the skin with a sting or fangs.

Usage examples:

A cream to ward off biting insects

verb

(of a person or animal) use the teeth to cut into or through something.

Usage examples:

He bit off a piece of cheese

noun

A bite-sized piece of food; a small snack, appetizer, or canapé.

Usage examples:

The hotel bar serves cocktails and delicious bitings

adjective

(of heat) intense.

Usage examples:

The blistering heat of the desert

verb

Form blisters on the skin or other surface.

Usage examples:

The surface of the door began to blister

adjective

Very strong and severe

Usage examples:

The vice president launched a blistering attack on senate republicans.

adjective

Showing contempt; scornful.

Usage examples:

She was intolerant and contemptuous of the majority of the human race

adjective

Highly destructive or damaging.

Usage examples:

A devastating cyclone

verb

Destroy or ruin.

Usage examples:

The city was devastated by a huge earthquake

adjective

Causing great damage or suffering to something or someone

Usage examples:

Devastating criticisms, it will have a devastating impact on the economy.

verb

(of a person, animal, or plant) stop living.

Usage examples:

He died of tuberculosis

noun

Singular form of dice.

verb

To stop living

Usage examples:

He died of a heart attack., she died in her sleep at the age of 94., fig. the engine just died (= s…

verb

Make or become less.

Usage examples:

The new law is expected to diminish the government's chances

verb

To reduce or be reduced in size or importance

Usage examples:

[ i ] the threat of inflation is diminishing., [ t ] a single-payer system would diminish the burea…

verb

To reduce or be reduced in size, importance, or value

Usage examples:

If consumers start losing confidence, it will diminish demand for household goods., investors can d…

verb

Cease to be visible.

Usage examples:

He disappeared into the trees

verb

(of a person or thing) to go to a place or into a condition where the person or thing cannot be seen

Usage examples:

She disappeared into the house., he disappeared for a few hours (= went somewhere unknown)., they w…

adjective

Showing contempt or lack of respect.

Usage examples:

With a last disdainful look, she turned towards the door

adjective

Showing that someone does not like someone or something and thinks that they do not deserve interest or respect

Usage examples:

She cast a disdainful glance at the food., disdainful of he is openly disdainful of journalists who…

adjective

Feeling or showing that something is unworthy of consideration.

Usage examples:

Monetarist theory is dismissive of the need to control local spending

adjective

Showing that you think something or someone is not important and not worth considering

Usage examples:

A dismissive, angry look

verb

Bend or hang downwards limply.

Usage examples:

A long black cloak drooped from his shoulders

noun

An act or instance of drooping; a limp or weary attitude.

Usage examples:

The exhausted droop of her shoulders

verb

To bend or hang down

Usage examples:

The old woman sighed and pushed back a drooping strand of iron-gray hair.

verb

Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength.

Usage examples:

Traffic has dwindled to a trickle

verb

To become less in number or smaller

Usage examples:

The community had dwindled to a tenth of its former size.

verb

To gradually become less, smaller, or lower in level

Usage examples:

Dwindle from sth to sth the municipality's population has dwindled from 40,000 to 24,000., dwindlin…

verb

Turn from liquid into vapour.

Usage examples:

Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated

verb

To cause a liquid to change to a gas, esp. by heating

Usage examples:

[ i ] some water evaporates to form clouds., [ i ] the issue of global warming is not just going to…

verb

Gradually grow faint and disappear.

Usage examples:

The light had faded and dusk was advancing

noun

The process of becoming less bright.

Usage examples:

The sun can cause colour fade

verb

Become less clearly visible or distinguishable

adjective

Making someone feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and pride.

Usage examples:

A humiliating defeat

verb

Make (someone) feel ashamed and foolish by injuring their dignity and pride.

Usage examples:

You'll humiliate me in front of the whole school!

adjective

Making you feel ashamed or stupid

Usage examples:

Losing my job was the most humiliating thing that ever happened to me., the government suffered a h…

verb

(of a person, animal, or plant) lose or lack vitality; grow weak.

Usage examples:

Plants may appear to be languishing simply because they are dormant

verb

To exist in an unpleasant or unwanted situation, often for a long time

Usage examples:

Members of congress have introduced plans, but those have languished.

verb

To be weak or fail to improve

Usage examples:

Traditional industries continue to languish or disappear.

verb

Make or become less; diminish.

Usage examples:

The years have lessened the gap in age between us

verb

To become or make something smaller in amount or degree

Usage examples:

[ t ] keeping your weight down can lessen the risk of heart disease.

verb

To make something smaller, less noticeable, etc., or to become smaller, less noticeable, etc.

Usage examples:

Corporate executives are keen to embrace "green technology" in order to lessen their dependence on …

adjective

Making fun of someone or something in a cruel way; derisive.

Usage examples:

He got jeers and mocking laughter as he addressed the marchers

verb

Tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner.

Usage examples:

Opposition mps mocked the government's decision

adjective

Mocking behaviour involves laughing at someone or something in an unkind way

Usage examples:

A mocking voice, mocking humour/laughter

adjective

Causing great embarrassment or shame.

Usage examples:

How mortifying to find that he was right

verb

Cause (someone) to feel very embarrassed or ashamed.

Usage examples:

She was mortified to see her wrinkles in the mirror

adjective

Very embarrassing

Usage examples:

Catching head lice from your kids is a mortifying experience.

verb

Die, especially in a violent or sudden way.

Usage examples:

A great part of his army perished of hunger and disease

verb

To die, esp. as a result of an accident, violence, or war

Usage examples:

Without this assistance, thousands of refugees would perish from hunger and neglect.

adjective

Witheringly scornful; severely critical.

Usage examples:

She launched a scathing attack on the prime minister

verb

Harm; injure.

Usage examples:

He was barely scathed

adjective

Severely critical and unkind

Usage examples:

He delivered a scathing attack on the president.

adjective

Feeling or expressing contempt or derision.

Usage examples:

The opposition were scornful of the prime minister's proposal

adjective

Extremely hot or intense.

Usage examples:

The searing heat of the sun

verb

Burn or scorch the surface of (something) with a sudden, intense heat.

Usage examples:

The water got so hot that it seared our lips

adjective

Very hot

Usage examples:

Searing temperatures, gary felt searing pain in his leg.

verb

Become or make smaller in size or amount.

Usage examples:

The workforce shrank to a thousand

noun

A psychiatrist.

Usage examples:

You should see a shrink

verb

To become smaller or cause something to become smaller

Usage examples:

[ i ] the show’s audience has shrunk in the last few months., [ t ] i shrank my sweater by putting …

adjective

Contemptuous or mocking.

Usage examples:

He made a sneering comment about their closeness

noun

The action of smiling or speaking in a contemptuous or mocking manner.

Usage examples:

It will take a concerted effort from many to lay off the sneering—and try understanding

verb

Smile or speak in a contemptuous or mocking manner.

Usage examples:

She had sneered at their bad taste

adjective

Having a sting; capable of wounding or piercing with a sting.

Usage examples:

A swarm of stinging insects

verb

Wound or pierce with a sting.

Usage examples:

He was stung by a jellyfish

adjective

Behaving or looking as though one thinks one is superior to others.

Usage examples:

A supercilious lady's maid

adjective

Behaving as if you are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs, or ideas are not important

Usage examples:

He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice.

adjective

Higher in rank, status, or quality.

Usage examples:

A superior officer

noun

A person superior to another in rank or status, especially a colleague in a higher position.

Usage examples:

Obeying their superiors' orders

adjective

Better than average, or better than others of the same type

Usage examples:

They were clearly the superior team., some people think acoustic recordings are superior to digital…

verb

(of the moon) have a progressively smaller part of its visible surface illuminated, so that it appears to decrease in size.

Usage examples:

Tory tried to see her reflection, but the moon was waning, the stars obscured by clouds.

noun

The amount by which a plank or log is bevelled or falls short of a squared shape.

Usage examples:

I cut the log into slabs without removing the outside wane

verb

Make or become weaker in power, resolve, or physical strength.

Usage examples:

Fault lines had weakened and shattered the rocks

verb

To make or become weak or weaker

Usage examples:

[ i ] the country’s economy continues to weaken., [ t ] long exposure to vibration can weaken aircr…

verb

To become or make something or someone become less powerful, successful, effective, etc.

Usage examples:

A series of scandals weakened investor confidence., the plan has divided the country and weakened t…

verb

(of a plant, leaf, or flower) become limp through heat, loss of water, or disease; droop.

Usage examples:

At this time, chill treatment seedlings were severely wilted with extensive leaf rolling characteri…

noun

Any of a number of fungal or bacterial diseases of plants characterized by wilting of the foliage.

Usage examples:

These varieties are more resistant to aphids and wilt

verb

Archaic second person singular of will1.