as in gaunt
dry and wrinkled usually because of old age
the old man's wizened face
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Recent Examples of wizened
Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Yoda Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a laser sword.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Expect big feelings and a playful, wizened heart.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
In front of the butcher’s near where the painter lives, a vendor, wizened and bent, sets up shop.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
But more alarming than the ways in which this physical space could turn against us was the simple metaphor of a wizened little man pulling a boat down a river in the dark.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Arsenal also agreed a deal for another teenager, the 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna, a wizened old veteran by comparison.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
After earning the trust of a wizened teacher, Naruto becomes a ninja and works alongside Sasuke Uchiha (Noriaki Sugiyama) and Sakura Haruno (Chie Nakamura) under sensei Kakashi Hatake (Kazuhiko Inoue).
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
While the beautiful people always display youth (even if it’s paid for), the always original Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio was unrecognizable, doubling his actual age of 32 with wizened grey hair, beard and bushy eyebrows, prosthetic wrinkles and a cane.
—Merle Ginsberg, HollywoodReporter, 5 May 2026
Yoda Don’t underestimate the wizened little green guy putzing around with a laser sword.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 3 May 2026
Expect big feelings and a playful, wizened heart.
—ABC News, 1 May 2026
In front of the butcher’s near where the painter lives, a vendor, wizened and bent, sets up shop.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
But more alarming than the ways in which this physical space could turn against us was the simple metaphor of a wizened little man pulling a boat down a river in the dark.
—Ann Patchett, New Yorker, 29 Sep. 2025
Arsenal also agreed a deal for another teenager, the 16-year-old Shamrock Rovers midfielder Victor Ozhianvuna, a wizened old veteran by comparison.
—Nick Miller, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
After earning the trust of a wizened teacher, Naruto becomes a ninja and works alongside Sasuke Uchiha (Noriaki Sugiyama) and Sakura Haruno (Chie Nakamura) under sensei Kakashi Hatake (Kazuhiko Inoue).
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wizened
Adjective
-
When supermodels ruled the runway, low-rise pants hugged our hips, everyone smoked cigarettes, grunge was a music genre and an aesthetic, and looking scrawny and gaunt was considered attractive.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
In late-stage chronic wasting disease, deer often appear emaciated and gaunt, Labonte said.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Water ornamental purslane when the soil has dried out or the leaves look shriveled.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even with a visible chunk of brain, a missing nose, and a skeletal hand, Spear is still just a man trying to survive in a harsh environment where cruelty and slavery are the norm.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
The digital portrait was created using AI and photo-editing techniques designed to translate skeletal and archaeological data into a realistic human likeness.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Decades of relations built through OPEC and other organizations withered under fire, while Western and Israeli ties deepened through the Abraham Accords and shared security threats from Iran.—
Judah Taub,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Its power has withered amid years without peace negotiations and Israel tightening its grip on the occupied West Bank.—
SAM METZ,
Arkansas Online,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.—
Patrick Oppmann,
CNN Money,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Wrexham, meanwhile, was near the bottom, struggling in England’s lowest division under a haggard fan-ownership group keeping it on life support.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The striking blooms make excellent cut flowers, both fresh and dried, and attract butterflies and bees to the garden.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
3 May 2026
-
Fresh basil is essential—do not swap in dried.—
Victoria Spencer,
Martha Stewart,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wizened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wizened. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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