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Glite Dictionary
🥀 Becoming weaker 🔥 Very damaging 😠 Very scornful
withering

withering

7.2
Intended to make someone feel small or foolish
  • adjective
  • /ˈwɪðərɪŋ/
translation icon : despectivo
  • The coach gave a withering look to the player who failed to follow the game plan.

Stare at them and you wait and you will get the most withering.

Examples

  • Their work gets treated too politely, and so they don't hear a really withering critique of their work.

  • These days, he's in the news for his withering critique of Joe Biden's dismal economic record and his two fisted attacks on Donald Trump's trade policy.

  • Make it a question if we will have a withering glare.

  • All employees were asked to be especially withering and sarcastic in their dealings with their colleagues for the duration.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • And then came the cross examination, which just left her a withering puddle of contradictions and obvious lies.

  • And then came the cross examination, which just left her a withering puddle of contradictions and obvious lies.

  • ANGLE ON PAZZI, UNDER THE WITHERING STARE.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Her withering remarks made him feel embarrassed during the presentation.

  • The critic's withering review left the author feeling defeated and ashamed.

Synonyms

devastating
vswithering
224 5.1

Causing very great damage or sadness

targets humiliation and contempt rather than wide physical or material harm
scornful
vswithering
7 5.1

Showing that you think someone does not deserve respect

aims to make someone feel humiliated or small through contempt
blistering
vswithering
5 7.0

Very harsh words or writing that attack someone

focuses on shaming someone rather than only being severe in tone

Antonyms

encouraging
73 1.9

Giving someone support or hope so they feel more confident

complimentary
18 4.2

Saying good things about someone to show you admire them

How Scornful

contemptuous
17 7.0
withering
7.2
cutting
5.2
disparaging
  • Offensive
1 7.0
dismissive
43 5.6

Surface Forms

withering positive

Morphology

withering = wither (semi-transparent) = wither + ing

The adjectival sense 'humiliating, scornful' derives figuratively from 'to wither' (to make someone feel diminished), so the relation is readable but metaphorical.

Etymology

Withering comes from wither 'to shrivel'. A withering look or remark makes someone feel small, as if they are being 'shrivelled' inside, which explains why it means 'intended to humiliate'.