Intended to make someone feel mortified or humiliated through harsh criticism or scorn. Can also mean causing something to shrivel or decay.
From Old English wiðerian meaning 'to resist, oppose,' later meaning 'to dry up, shrivel.' The sense of harsh criticism comes from the metaphor of words that cause someone to shrivel like a dying plant.
The dual meaning—both physical decay and emotional destruction—shows how our language treats psychological wounds like physical ones. A withering look or comment can indeed make someone feel as though they're shriveling, demonstrating the power of metaphor in capturing emotional reality.
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