witherling means an opponent, enemy, or adversary. It carries an Arena rating of 1631, earned across 3 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, witherling ranks #1,941 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #2,620 of 17,140 for Most Whimsical Words, #2,692 of 17,143 for Best Fossil-Poetry Words, #3,255 of 17,131 for Scariest Words.
witherling is pronounced /ˈwɪðə(ɹ)lɪŋ/.
Why “witherling” is a great word
An opponent or adversary, or one who or that which is withered or decrepit. From Old English wiþerling, equivalent to wither- ("against") + -ling (denoting one belonging to or concerned with). Unlike an adversary—a general, functional opponent—or a wretch, a figure of pure pity or contempt, a witherling is an enemy defined by opposition fused with physical decline. It is the last, twisted oak on a barren heath; the bitter rival whose hatred has preserved him, pickled and sour; the skeletal hand that grasps from the shadows. A portrait of opposition that has itself begun to decay, a slow crumbling back into the ground from which it came.
Etymology
From Old English wiþerling, equivalent to wither- (“against”) + -ling.
noun
- An opponent, enemy, or adversary.
- One who or that which is withered or decrepit.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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