whither
whither Lexical Profile
whither Game Scores & Validity
• adverb
To what place, destination, or state; where (used chiefly in literary, rhetorical, or archaic contexts).
"The wanderer paused at the crossroads, uncertain whither the winding mountain trail might lead."
To what end, point, or future condition (often used in verbless rhetorical questions examining the future trajectory of an institution or idea).
"The keynote panel concluded with a sobering debate on whither modern print journalism in the digital age."
• conjunction
To the place or state to which; to whatever place (used as a relative conjunction introducing a clause of destination).
"They sailed toward the distant archipelago whither the winter winds had driven the merchant fleet."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'whither' (an archaic or literary word meaning 'to what place' or 'where') with its homophone 'wither' (a verb meaning to shrivel, fade, or dry up).
• Rhymes for whither
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'hwider', meaning 'to what place', derived from the Proto-Germanic interrogative root '*hwa-' (whence 'who', 'what', and 'where') combined with a directional suffix akin to that in 'hither' and 'thither'.