wrinkle
1 Americannoun
-
a small furrow or crease in the skin, especially of the face, as from aging or frowning.
-
a temporary slight ridge or furrow on a surface, due to contraction, folding, crushing, or the like.
verb (used with object)
-
wrinkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wrinkled,
past participle, past
-
wrinkling
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
wrinkles,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wrinkled,
past participle, past
-
wrinkling
present participle
noun
noun
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wrinklesimple
-
wrinklessimple
-
have wrinkledperfect
-
has wrinkledperfect
-
am wrinklingprogressive
-
are wrinklingprogressive
-
is wrinklingprogressive
-
have been wrinklingperfect progressive
-
has been wrinklingperfect progressive
Past
-
wrinkledsimple
-
had wrinkledperfect
-
was wrinklingprogressive
-
were wrinklingprogressive
-
had been wrinklingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wrinkle1
1375–1425; late Middle English (noun), back formation from wrinkled, Old English gewrinclod, past participle of gewrinclian to wind round; perhaps akin to wrick, wrench
Origin of wrinkle2
1375–1425; late Middle English, equivalent to wrinc trick ( Old English wrenc; see wrench) + -le
Explanation
If you work to iron a stubborn wrinkle out of your shirt, you're trying to smooth out a crease. A wrinkle is a dent or line where that smoothness is interrupted. You might fret about a wrinkle in your skirt or a new wrinkle on your face. Another kind of wrinkle is more figurative: a small complication or problem that arises suddenly. You could describe a torrential rain storm as a wrinkle in your plan to film a sunny scene in your movie, for example. The Old English root is gewrinclod, "wrinkled, crooked, or winding," and it comes from the verb wrinclian, "to wind."
Vocabulary lists containing wrinkle
"The Forgotten Treasure" and "There Is No Word for Goodbye"
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for October 13–October 19, 2024
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"Young"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The imaginary collaboration also contains a historical wrinkle: Washington never actually lived in the White House.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
Though they probably will have only four starting spots to fill in the postseason — and Yamamoto, Skubal, Snell and Glasnow can be penciled in when healthy — Ohtani’s build-up adds an interesting wrinkle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
The back-and-forth between Taylor Farms and regulators is the latest wrinkle that consumers have to navigate while they figure out what’s safe to eat right now.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Both the U.S. and Iranian teams discussed recent fighting in Lebanon with Qatari mediators, a conflict that has added another wrinkle to the process, people familiar with the discussions said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
The smell of the salve stings my nostrils, and I wrinkle my nose.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
In addition to helping clients achieve elegantly lined foreheads, Rossi said he works with an increasing number of people who want to keep some wrinkles around their eyes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
After years battling her forehead wrinkles with Botox injections, Stephanie Abend realized something surprising: She wanted some of them back.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Their analysis showed elevated concentrations of carbon in the sediment layers directly beneath the wrinkles.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Hugh Jackman plays Robin Hood in his final days, a loose retelling of a 500-year-old ballad, and seems to have ancient dirt creased into his wrinkles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
The wrinkles in her face turned into smile lines.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Elsewhere, steel structures appear variously deflated, vacuum-sealed, flopped, melted and wrinkled.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
But based on the success of the streaming series “The Mandalorian,” set around the title bounty hunter, we can all agree that his charge Grogu — green, wrinkled, big-eyed Baby You-Know-Who — is still adorable.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
However, scientists may have overlooked them by interpreting wrinkled rock textures as purely physical formations.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 3, 2026
"I'm sick and I don't even have the money to buy medication," she said, empty boxes in her wrinkled hands.
From Barron's ● Mar. 25, 2026
The sheet of paper is super wrinkled, and there are smudge marks from the pencil eraser all over the page.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
"I'm a bit scared," an elderly woman in a headscarf confessed, her face wrinkling into worry.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
Those affected often develop early skin wrinkling, loss of skin elasticity, reduced body fat, hair loss, hardened arteries, and insulin resistance.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2025
“We had to hire someone to rip out the urine-soaked flooring from the previous tenants’ cats,” Guo says, wrinkling her nose as she recalled the aroma.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2023
His wrinkling lips were as expressive as many actors’ eyes.
From New York Times ● Oct. 17, 2022
I cooked the kidneys, my nose wrinkling at their stink, and stirred the beans, although they hardly needed it.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
