Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- To burn; scorch.
- noun Doubt; hesitation; perplexity; a state of irresolute wavering.
- noun A fright.
- noun A perspiration.
- To fail; falter; hesitate.
- To fear.
- To emit a whirring sound; whizz.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To be
indecisive or in a state ofconfusion ; todither .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun agitation resulting from active worry
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word swither.
Examples
-
A man in a swither is a man half absent, as poor a fighter as he is indifferent a lover; the enemy and the girl will escape him ere he has throttled the doubt at his heart There's one test to my mind for all the enterprises of man -- are they well contrived and carried to a good conclusion?
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn Neil Munro
-
They found the office in a "swither," as Harry said, over the revelations of fraud that were coming to light every day -- book-keeper, clerk, and timber-checker having all been in conspiracy to defraud the company.
The Man from Glengarry; a tale of the Ottawa Ralph Connor 1898
-
The wind smells of the Wear, sprays rain on the wall and growls with an insistent swither.
Make This My Default Location (I) : Ange Mlinko : Harriet the Blog : The Poetry Foundation 2007
-
Oh, they'll shift and swither and plot, and ye'll be approached (discreetly) with more hints and ploys and assurances of good will than ye can count.
Flashman And The Mountain Of Light Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1990
-
Oh, they'll shift and swither and plot, and ye'll be approached (discreetly) with more hints and ploys and assurances of good will than ye can count.
Flashman and the Mountain of Light Fraser, George MacDonald, 1925- 1990
-
And as ill-luck had it, his ill counsel found me on the swither, as yours did when
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn Neil Munro
-
Strong cruel brutes, they did not swither a moment, but both leaped at M'Iver's throat.
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn Neil Munro
-
"Good night to you, Sir Churchman; I'm in nae swither whether I would change places wi 'ye the night, but weemen are daft craturs, poor things, and I've had my day."
The McBrides A Romance of Arran John Sillars
-
Then, very abruptly, fixing his eyes on me, all of a swither, with my milk-stained cap in my hand,
The Yeoman Adventurer George W. Gough
-
He seemed in a swither as to whether I was a fit confidant or not in such a matter, but at last would appear to decide in my favour.
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn Neil Munro
garyth123 commented on the word swither
Surely this is a verb. To swither means to be undecided, or something like that.
January 17, 2009
bilby commented on the word swither
"People were … in a swither, unwilling to stir untill the first ruffle was past;"
- Erskine Diary, 1685.
January 17, 2009
qms commented on the word swither
As hither is mixed up with thither
And whence is confounded with wither,
If you would compose
Faux biblical prose
Prepare for a sweat and a swither.
January 20, 2018
bilby commented on the word swither
qms in fine form here.
January 20, 2025