witherward
Opposite; adversity, opposition; hostility
uncountable
Nor, although be sung the "mighty stream of tendency" of this wondrous age, did he ever launch his poetic craft upon it, nor seem to see the witherward of its swift and awful stress.
Where it comes from
From Middle English witherward, from Old English wiþerweard (“contrary, adverse, hostile”), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþraward, from Proto-Germanic *wiþrawardaz (“contrary, adverse, in opposition”); equivalent to wither (“against”) + -ward. Cognate with Old High German widarwart (“witherward”), German widerwärtig (“adverse, repulsive”), Gothic 𐍅𐌹𐌸𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌸𐍃 (wiþrawairþs, “witherward”).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry witherward (CC BY-SA 4.0).