What does crinkliest mean?
Crinkliest is the superlative of the adjective crinkly, meaning more full of small wrinkles, ripples, or folds than anything else being compared. The word is especially useful for describing tactile surfaces: wrinkled linen, crinkled paper, rumpled fabric, or dry autumn leaves. It normally implies many relatively small irregularities rather than the large folds produced by deliberately crushing or crumpling something. Although the word can suggest untidiness, age, or damage, it can also carry a positive, decorative sense when texture is intentional. Crinkliest belongs to the same word family as crinkly and crinklier, with crinkly serving as the base form and crinklier as the comparative. Its usage is common in both British and American English and is especially frequent in fashion, craft, food, gardening, and descriptive writing. In such contexts, the term provides a vivid way to identify the most noticeably wrinkled or rippled item in a group.
adjectiveHaving the greatest degree of small wrinkles, ripples, or folds; most crinkly.
- Having the greatest number or degree of small wrinkles, ripples, or folds.
"She smoothed the crinkliest of the linen napkins before laying them on the table."
"Of all the autumn leaves, the crinkliest was the copper beech leaf she had tucked into her notebook."
"Her dressmaker held up the crinkliest length of emerald velvet."
Crinkliest is the superlative of crinkly, packing an entire texture into one delightfully specific comparison.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does crinkliest come from?
The word derives from the English verb crinkle, whose Middle English form crenkel came from Old English crincan. Old English crincan is related to Old Norse krenka, a verb meaning to wrinkle or crumple. The modern adjective and its comparative and superlative forms developed from this older vocabulary for small folds and creases.
Related word forms
How crinkliest is actually used
This is a neutral descriptive word, used chiefly when comparing materials, fabrics, paper, skin, leaves, and other surfaces that form small folds or ripples. Its connotation may be negative when the wrinkles are unwanted, but it can also describe deliberately textured or decorative material.
Easily confused with crinkliest
Crinkliest describes the greatest degree of small wrinkles or ripples, whereas crumple means to crush or bend something into irregular folds.