She was a diminutive, withered up old
woman of sixty

Can I just say "withered old woman"?

Question

She was a diminutive, withered up old
woman of sixty

Can I just say "withered old woman"?

Answer

"withered" followed by "up" is unusual. "withered" is similar in meaning to "dried up" or "shrivelled up". It's also unusual for a 60 year-old woman to have such an appearance anyway! I would expect that kind of description to apply to very old people. Feel free to try a few other options on us - it's quite a difficult description, when I think more about it.

Answer

Sure.

But, then you lose a lot of the existing description.
You will have lost the fact that she's only 60 and not 80 or older.
You will also have lost that she is a small person.

Cheers

Answer

I disagree with what Michael wrote. I think "withered up" is quite a common expression. The "up" adds a feeling that the process is complete. For me, it's less natural to say "withered" without the "up"

Compare with "dried up". If you say "a dried up apple" it sounds like that apple has been left outside and has lost its moisture. If you say "a dried apple" It sounds as though it has been intentionally dried.

"Withered" isn't the same as "dried", but I still think adding the "up" is correct in your sentence. It shows the state she is currently in: wrinkled or smaller than in previous times. It might even be a comment on her personality rather than her physical appearance.