Make Your Point > Archived Issues > WIZEN

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explore the archives: Today we're adding to our stockpile of precise synonyms for "old." "Wizen" is a fairly dignified term; I bet your granddad would be okay with you calling him a wizened fellow. But a very respectful term for old things (and people) is v____able, and a very disrespectful (and icky) term for them is c___averous. Could you recall these two words? make your point with... "WIZEN" Literally or figuratively, something wizen, or something wizened, is dried up, shriveled up, or withered. Usually that's because it's old or it's sick.  It's also a verb. Something can wizen on its own, or something can wizen something else, but either way it means to dry up, to shrivel up, or to wither. Pronunciation: WIZZ in (rhymes with "risen") Part of speech: Often an adjective. (Adjectives are describing words, like "large" or "late." They can be used in two ways: 1. Right before a noun, as in "the grandmother's wizen features." 2. After a linking verb, as in "The grandmother's features were wizen.") Other forms: Use either "wizen" or "wizened" for the adjective. "Wizen" is a verb, too, which also gives us "wizening." How to use it: "Wizen" (or "wizened") is the formal, somewhat respectful way of saying "all dried up and old." You can use either "wizen" or "wizened" for the adjective; I prefer "wizened" since it's more obviously a description of what's happened to something or something. To be literal, use "wizen" or "wizened" to describe people and their lips, cheeks, whole faces, hands, etc., as well as vegetables, pieces of fruit, entire crops or plants, gardens, lands, and so on. Your object that you describe as wizened doesn't have to be plump or juicy in its original form; you can simply mean it's old and withering away, such as "a wizened old baseball cap." To be figurative, talk about a wizened heart, a wizened sense of generosity, the wizened memory of a long-forgotten wish, a wizened old tradition that's rarely even observed, a wizened council of elders, a entire wizened city, etc. And the verb is also "wizen," so talk about something wizening on its own ("the apples wizened, uneaten") or something wizening something else ("the years had wizened his mind"). Or, talk about one thing wizened by another: "the memories wizened by age." examples: After eight years of stress, presidents emerge from the White House all wizened and gray. My oldest student was a beautiful Vietnamese grandma with a soft voice, a wizened smile, and an admirable determination to improve her English. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "wizen" means when you can explain it without saying "withered" or "very aged." try it out: Think of a tradition nobody really follows anymore, or an object you own that's very old and beaten up, and fill in the blank: "Time has wizened that old _____." Example: "Time has wizened that old tradition of buying something tin for one's tenth wedding anniversary. Apparently tin was more dazzling and romantic in the past, and less reminiscent of soup cans." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. In May, we played with word roots, exploring underlying associations among common words you know. Yesterday's question was:  In asset, satisfy, and sate, what does “sat/set” mean?  Answer: Enough! :) Now, a new game for June! It's called "Well-Named Creatures." Some names for animals and other creatures define themselves instantly or after a brief moment’s thought: anteater, grasshopper, hummingbird, seahorse, octopus (eight-foot). But other names deserve some exploration; they hold hidden clues about what the animals look like or what they do. And sometimes the names reveal how baffled people were when they first caught a glimpse of the creatures and tried to name them. This month, I’ll give you the literal meaning of a creature's name, and you come up with what it is. Answers will appear in alphabetical order this month. (Oh, and the answers might be animals, birds, insects, or even extinct creatures.) Enjoy! Try this first one today: An "earth pig" is an a_______. review today's word: 1. One opposite of WIZEN is A. FLOURISH B. STEADY C. FALTER 2. The Wizengamot, a fictional council of leaders in the Harry Potter stories, was probably named to hint at the _____ of its members. A. power B. innumerability C. venerability Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. C