Dictionary — ontologydriven

wizen en · ADJ

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪzən/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English wisenen, from Old English wisnian, weosnian, from Proto-West Germanic *wisnōn, from Proto-Germanic *wisnōną, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną (“to consume”). Cognate with Icelandic visna, Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐍅𐌹𐍃𐌰𐌽 (frawisan, “to squander through feasting”).

Meanings

Wizened; withered; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.
- His face was wizen and wrinkled, his faded blue eyes dim and weak-looking. He was feeble, and his hands were tremulous with a perpetual nervous motion. 1864, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, Henry Dunbar:
- Yes, there would be a day when his face would be wrinkled and wizen, his eyes dim and colourless, the grace of his figure broken and deformed. The scarlet would pass away from his lips and the gold steal from his hair. 1891, Oscar Wilde, “chapter”, in The Picture of Dorian Gray, London; New York, N.Y.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
most wizen	Degree=Sup		lexicographic
wizzen		alternative	lexicographic
more wizen	Degree=Cmp		lexicographic

Translations (13)

uk зморщений (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs seschlý (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · nb innskrumpet (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs vrásčitý (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · bg съсухрен (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · nb vissen (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · mi rerehe (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · nb sammenskrumpet (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · uk висохлий (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · bg изсъхнал (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · it raggrinzito (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · fi kurttuinen (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs scvrklý (lean and wrinkled by shrinkage)

wizen en · VERB

Pronunciation

/ˈwɪzən/

Etymology

Meanings

(intransitive) To wither; to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage, as from age or illness.
- 1–2000 solution gave no blackening, the tissues of the apple wizening before any effect was seen. 1920, G. H. Coons, Genevieve Gillette, “Phenol Injury to Apples”, in Annual Report of The Michigan Academy of Science, volume 21, page 327:
- Shrink like coal on the hearth! Wizen like filth on the wall! 1999, Robert Lacey, Danny Danziger, The Year 1000: What life was like at the turn of The First Millennium, London: Abacus, published 2000, page 125:
- After wizening with cold for an hour, we ran down to the hut for breakfast, rejoicing in having brought with us some portable soup ; and after a second visit to the summit, started at eight, when the day seemed already far advanced, along with the Bleiberg party, for the descent. 1864, Josiah Gilbert Holland, G. C. Churchill, “The Morning Panorama”, in The Dolomite Mountains: Excursions through Tyrol, Carinthia, Carniola, & Friuli in 1861, 1862, & 1863, London: Longman et al., page 493:
- Where his suspicions were cast no man knew for certain, but his plump features wizened, and his rosy cheeks grew white, his proud head drooped, and he walked with a piteous uncertainty for so pompous and lofty a man. 1883, David Christie Murray, Hearts, volume III, London: Chatto & Windus, page 30:
(transitive) To make wizened.
- […] Lea, archetype of the older woman, wise, but not yet wizened by age and experience. 1981 January 26, Gerald Clarke, “Books: Field Flowers”, in Time:
- The title itself refers to Nō masks that represent stock women characters from traditional stories—such as the young “madwoman” or the older woman wizened by age and loss—though it is translated into English simply as Masks. 2019 January 23, Julia Shiota, “The Messiness of Resistance”, in Ploughshares, retrieved 16 Jul 2026:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
wizened	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
wizened	Tense=Past		lexicographic
wizening	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
wizens	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic
wizzen		alternative	lexicographic

Translations (8)

fi mennä kurttuun (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs seschnout (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs scvrknout se (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · fi kurttuuntua (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · cs svraskat (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · bg изсъхвам (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · bg съсухрям се (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage) · fi kurtistua (to become lean and wrinkled by shrinkage)