wither away

wither away

1. To dry or shrivel up and die due or as due to a lack of water. The neighbor forgot to come water our plants, so they all withered away while we were gone. It is so arid here that you have to water the flowers twice a day to keep them from withering away.
2. To become emaciated. I really don't like how much weight he's been losing for wrestling. He looks like he's withering away into nothing! As the political prisoner continues to wither away as a result of her hunger strike, the government will be forced into action soon.
3. To lose force or vigor and fade away. All of the enthusiasm among his constituency that got the senator elected the first time around has long since withered away. We've got to demonstrate that we're profitable soon, because support from our investors is starting to wither away.
4. To become aged and decrepit; to lose the bloom or freshness of youth. Everyone is scared to death of getting old and withering away, but it's just a natural part of life. Embrace it, I say! I know you think your skin will stay smooth and supple forever, but it'll wither away eventually, just like it does for everyone else.
See also: away, wither
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

wither away

to shrivel up; to shrink up. Soon, the wart withered away. Many of our roses withered away in the hot sun.
See also: away, wither
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • wither
  • withered
  • withering
  • withers
  • wither up
  • big with child
  • heavy with child
  • in due course
  • in due time
  • a/somebody's blind spot
References in classic literature
'He withers away in his prison; I wither away in mine; inexorable justice is done; what do I owe on this score!'
Little Dorrit
On inanimate nature, as on the men and women who cultivated it, a prevalent tendency towards an appearance of vegetating unwillingly--a dejected disposition to give up, and wither away.
Tale Of Two Cities
Afghanistan is a country which has housed civilisations and monuments which date thousands of years; unfortunately, the tragedies and violence that has befallen the country has often led to those historical wonders being destroyed, neglected or left to wither away. We saw this eighteen years ago when the Taliban blew up the two giant Buddhas in the Bamiyan province, in a traumatic event which was condemned worldwide, and we saw this last week when locals in Afghanistan reported that an ancient tower dating back 2,000 years in the historic Afghan city of Ghazni has collapsed.
Fading Pieces Of History
I'd be genuinely delighted to see prisons wither away He said: "I would genuinely be delighted to see prisons wither away.
Prisons chief: Short-termism is filling our cells
We must renounce it, denounce it and withdraw our tolerance or our democracy will wither away,' he said.
Former Senator Alvarez withdraws congressional bid in Isabela
What Fr Magill was saying to the politicians was this - get your act together and sort this out, give the people stability and peace and quasicriminal organisations like the New IRA will wither away.
We only hope priest's words spark leaders into action; COMMENT
After 33 successive days with no measurable rainfall in much of the eastern half of the county, trees are turning brown as leaves turn crispy and wither away.
Scenes like autumn in Surrey's ongoing heatwave and drought; Send us your photos of Surrey in the drought
But the hot dry conditions could mean plants wither away and the next generation of caterpillars cannot find the food they need to survive.
Observing nature good for the soul; Legendary naturalist in butterfly count plea
He assured eliminate all the doubts regarding his partiality and said 'all the suspicion and distrust of political parties will wither away with the performance [of interim set up].
Had no political agenda in past and now: Hassan Askari
Honesty is known for papery, silvery "pennies" which form after the purple or white flowers fade and leaves wither away.
Honest, you look amazing; 28 LIFESTYLE Gardening with Adrienne Wild TOP 10 Hardy annuals
Marking the culmination of a season of fasting, alms giving, repentance and spiritual renewal Easter is not only an occasion for celebrations but also an occasion to make a solemn pledge that the commitment to spiritual rejuvenation will not be allowed to wither away or weaken, Asif Ali Zardari said.
Zardari felicitates Christians on Easter
AMIDST growing skepticisms in some quarters over the ability of national leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu to restore peace, unity and cohesion among aggrieved members of the party, former governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, on Monday rose in his defence, saying 'APC cannot be allowed to wither away because of omissions or commissions'.
Why Tinubu must reconcile warring APC stakeholders, members aAkande
This gorgeous book (bound in a material that looks like luminous, pebbly skin) is a welcome reminder that even the most ugly and troubled times eventually wither away into dust.
PALEOART: VISIONS OF THE PREHISTORIC PAST
The pits closed in the 1980s and while it left cities and towns across the North East to wither away afterwards, the solution 30 years on is to ensure people can get on in life by going to university, getting an apprenticeship or accessing further education.
I don't want to be a miner; Letters