wither away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Slowly shrivel to nothing
Why “away”? Something slowly becomes weaker until it is gone.
“Their enthusiasm withered away over the months.”
“Public support withered away after the scandal.”
Test yourself
“Their enthusiasm withered away over the months.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
chip away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually reduce something a little at a time
die away
Same away pattern: fading
Lose intensity until silent
drift away
Same away pattern: fading
Slip out of awareness slowly; Gradually lose contact with a person or group
eat away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually destroy something by erosion or worry
ebb away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually weaken or recede
explain away
Same away pattern: fading
Give reasons that make a problem seem less serious
fade away
Same away pattern: fading
Gradually become less visible, audible or strong
fall away
Same away pattern: fading
Decrease in number or amount
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “wither away” in Sink In
Drill “wither away” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
