WIZENED Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

wizened 1 of 2

adjective

as in gaunt

dry and wrinkled usually because of old age the old man's wizened face

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wizened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of wizen

as in shriveled

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of wizened

Adjective

Few signs of humanity interrupted the rocky shoreline — just a couple of cabins and the wooden railings of a path leading to a wizened cedar tree revered by the tribe. — Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 23 Aug. 2026 His wizened next-door neighbors (Mary Woodvine and Adrian Rawlins) are younger, mistaking him for their son Luke, a former crew member of the Rose of Nevada who died by suicide. — Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 Nobody has ever wanted to watch the singer from Foreigner play baseball against Wally Joyner and a wizened Bobby Brady, and yet MTV leaned on the less-than-spectacular spectacle throughout the ‘90s. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 12 June 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for wizened

Adjective

But fans were alarmed by Love’s gaunt appearance and diminished singing voice.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 23 Sep. 2026
Apple was widely criticized in the late 2000s for not volunteering more information about Jobs’ health, especially as concerns about his gaunt appearance battered the company’s shares.

— Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of gaunt

Verb

As sprouting progresses, the sweet potato may become softer, shriveled, or less flavorful.

— Lynn Andriani, Martha Stewart, 4 Sep. 2026
Wild pheasants use it all, and after late November they’ll be concentrated in the heavy cover because crop fields are gleaned and frost will have shriveled a lot of vegetation.

— Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of shriveled

Adjective

Kansas City police were called to investigate skeletal remains that were found near the River Market Wednesday morning.

— Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Up close, its elongated head, skeletal body and glistening double set of jaws reveal just how much unsettling detail goes into a creature often glimpsed onscreen in darkness.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of skeletal

Verb

The throuple moved into faculty housing, where Lakofski withered, depressed by life in a conventional apartment.

— Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
But his support among Palestinians has withered during years of corruption and the sometimes violent advance of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

— Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of withered

Adjective

Xbox, despite its increasingly haggard reputation, has announced backwards compatibility for PC.

— Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
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

Definition of haggard

Verb

Down and feather pillows can generally be tumble-dried on low or no-heat, whereas memory foam should be air-dried.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
Then dams and expanding farmlands dried it up and turned it into a patchwork of fields, roads and towns.

— Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of dried

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wizen

wizened

wizening

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“Wizened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wizened. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of wizened

adjective

verb

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