What does "whither" mean?
A place to which someone or something goes; also, a condition to which someone or something moves.
Whither
/ˈwɪðə/ adv, noun, verb
adv, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A place to which someone or something goes; also, a condition to which someone or something moves.
- Grammar: whither is listed as adv, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: for what end, to what end, to what purpose, to where.
- Useful contrasts: for no purpose, hither, whence.
- Usage evidence: He wasn't certain in which direction he should go and he'd forgotten whither he was traveling and who he was.
How to use "whither"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "whither" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "whither" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "whither" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "whither" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "whither" is acting as adv, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "for what end" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "whither", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A place to which someone or something goes; also, a condition to which someone or something moves. formal
"To knovv the local beginnings of vvinds, is a thing vvhich requires a deep ſearch and Inquiſition, ſeeing that the VVhence and VVhither of vvinds, are things noted even in Scripture to be abſtruſe and hidden."
- 2 A state of rushed action; a haste, a hurry; also, a state of anger or excitement. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially
- 3 A forceful blow or hit. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially
- 4 An act of shaking (vigorously); a shiver, a tremble; also, a slight bout of discomfort or illness. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially
- 5 The sound of something moving quickly; a rush, a whiz. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A gust of wind; a bluster. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially
"I felt sure now that I was in the pensionnat—sure by the beating rain on the easement; sure by the ‘wuther’ of wind amongst trees, denoting a garden outside; sure by the chill, the whiteness, the solitude, amidst which I lay."
Verb
- 1 To cause (someone) to hurry; to hasten, to hurry. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially, transitive
- 2 To throw (something) forcefully; to hurl; also, to beat, to thrash. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially, transitive
- 3 To shake (vigorously); to tremble. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially, intransitive
- 4 To move quickly, to rush, to whiz; also, to make a rushing sound; to whizz. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially, intransitive
- 5 Of the wind: to blow loudly and vigorously; to bluster; also, of an animal, etc.: to make a loud noise; to bellow, to roar. British, Scotland, dialectal, especially, intransitive
Adverb
- 1 Interrogative senses.; To what place; where. not-comparable
"Whither wilt thou wander, wayfarer?"
- 2 Interrogative senses.; To what (future) cause, condition or state, reason, etc.; where, where next; also (obsolete) to what extent; how far. also, figuratively, humorous, not-comparable
"VVhither at length vvilt thou abuſe our patience?"
- 3 Relative senses.; To which place; also (after a noun denoting a place) to which. not-comparable
"[W]e beſche thee, leaue vs not comfortles, but ſende to vs thine holy ghoſt to comfort vs, and exalte vs vnto thy ſame place, whither our ſauiour Chriſte is gone before: […]"
- 4 Relative senses.; To the place in or to which. not-comparable
"And with the same grave countenance he hurried through his breakfast and drove to the police station, whither the body had been carried."
- 5 Relative senses.; In or to any place to which; to whatever place; wherever. not-comparable
"Ah foole, goe vvith thy ſoule vvhither it goes, / A borrovved title haſt thou bought too deare."
Synonyms
All synonyms for what endto what endto what purposeto whereto which placetoward where
Example
"He wasn't certain in which direction he should go and he'd forgotten whither he was traveling and who he was."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "whither"?
Common synonyms include: for what end, to what end, to what purpose, to where, to which place, toward where.
How do you use "whither" in a sentence?
He wasn't certain in which direction he should go and he'd forgotten whither he was traveling and who he was.
How do you pronounce "whither"?
Pronounced /ˈwɪðə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English whider (“to what place?; into or to which; to what place, where; no matter where, to wherever”), from Old English hwider, hwæder (“to what place, where”), from Proto-Germanic *hwadrê (“to what place, where”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷos (“what; which”), from *kʷ- (the primary interrogative root).
Etymology 2
The verb is borrowed from Scots whidder, whither (“(of the wind) to bluster; to move quickly”), a frequentative form of whid (“(of wind) to gust; to move quickly”), of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin, from Old Norse hviða (“gust of wind”). Related to Middle English hwiþa, whyȝt (“breeze; wind”), Old English hwiþa, hwiþu, hweoþu (“breeze”). The noun is derived from the verb.