wizened

American  

[wiz-uhnd, wee-zuhnd] / ˈwɪz ənd, ˈwi zənd /

adjective

1. withered; shriveled.

   a wizened old man; wizened features.

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wizened British  

/ ˈwɪzənd /

adjective

1. shrivelled, wrinkled, or dried up, esp with age

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Etymology

Origin of wizened

First recorded in 1505–15; wizen + -ed ²

Explanation

"You're looking quite wizened today," is a something you should never, ever say to your grandmother, no matter how shriveled with age she might be. Think of a caricature of a witch — not your beloved granny. The verb wizen has fallen out of usage, but the past participle, wizened, continues to function as an adjective meaning wrinkled and shrunken with age or disease. You will see lots of elderly, wizened faces at the park feeding the birds and watching the children play. Although you might expect that folks with lined faces have learned a thing or two, there is no etymological connection between wizened and wise.

Example Sentences

But the admiring, even celebratory, tone of these paeans to hot actresses remaining hot well past Hollywood’s traditional expiration date masks the shadow side of this phenomenon: The wizened, terrifying hag.

From Salon • Jan. 23, 2025

This means that the youngest caterpillars are usually all black, while more colorful caterpillars tend to be the wizened, elders of a given population.

From National Geographic • Nov. 29, 2023

Blackened and wizened trees clung to the hillsides that ringed Oak Glen, and signs warned of an increased risk of flooding in areas that had burned in past wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 21, 2023

The pining narrator of “Teardrops on My Guitar” feels miles away from the wizened woman singing “Midnight Rain,” who has realized that love and marriage won’t solve all her problems.

From New York Times • May 30, 2023

The star leaned down, then, and kissed the old woman on her wizened cheek, feeling the rough hairs on it scrape her soft lips.

From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman