wizened en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈwɪzənd/ (General-American)
- /ˈwɪzənd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈwaɪzənd/ (General-American, uncommon)
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
From wizen + -ed. Inherited from Middle English wisenen, from Old English wisnian, weosnian, from Proto-Germanic *wisnōjaną. Cognate with Icelandic visna.
Meanings
-
Withered; lean and wrinkled by shrinkage as from age or illness.
He’s an old man now, his face wizened and his world limited to a cell in a former convent that serves as one of France’s maximum-security prisons.
2026 July 23, Joby Warrick, “We Live With the Violent Mayhem Carlos the Jackal Unleashed”, in The New York Times:In the simple fable about old age reconciling itself to memory and destiny, Mastroianni wears the wizened smile of a man who knows he is visiting his youth for the last time.
2010 May 13, Richard Corliss, “Cannes: Best-Ever Film by a 101-Year-Old Man”, in Time, retrieved 05 Oct 2013:He was old, too, wizened with age, and the hair on his face was gray.
1907, Jack London, chapter 7, in Before Adam:"Ill-fard, crazy, crack-brained gowk, that she is!" exclaimed the housekeeper. . . "If it hadna been that I am mair than half a gentlewoman by my station, I wad hae tried my ten nails in the wizen'd hide o' her!"
1816, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 8, in Old Mortality:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more wizened | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most wizened | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Translations (34)
nb vissen (withered) · de runzelig (withered) · uk висохлий (withered) · es enjuto (withered) · cs scvrklý (withered) · fr ratatiné (withered) · tr pörsük (withered) · pdt dennbakich (withered) · nl gekrompen (withered) · fi kuihtunut (withered) · fi kurttuinen (withered) · cs vrásčitý (withered) · mi rerehe (withered) · hy կնճռոտ (withered) · cmn 乾癟的 /干瘪的 (withered) · pt encarquilhado (withered) · nl ineengekrompen (withered) · cmn 滿臉皺紋的 /满脸皱纹的 (withered) · uk зморщений (withered) · hy ցամաքած (withered) · hy չորացած (withered) · ga casta (withered) · nl verschrompeld (withered) · nb sammenskrumpet (withered) · io velkinta (withered) · tr kırışık (withered) · hy կուչ եկած (withered) · de schrumpelig (withered) · nb innskrumpet (withered) · hy թառամած (withered) · mi rehe (withered) · hy վտիտ (withered) · cs seschlý (withered) · tr buruşuk (withered)