What does wrinkle mean?
A wrinkle is a small fold, crease, or indentation on a surface, most often encountered on skin or fabric. The word can refer to a facial line, a crease left in clothing, or the uneven surface of an object that has been folded or compressed. As a verb, “wrinkle” describes the formation of such creases: fabric may wrinkle, and a person may wrinkle their brow or forehead in puzzlement or concentration. Wrinkle also has a figurative use for a minor complication or difficulty, as in “a wrinkle in the plan,” and as a verb for making something more complicated. These figurative senses suggest an otherwise sound arrangement that has been slightly disturbed. The word is useful because it connects an easily recognized physical feature with the idea of introducing small problems into something otherwise smooth, orderly, or straightforward.
A small fold, crease, or line on a surface, especially skin or fabric; figuratively, a minor complication or difficulty.
"There was a deep wrinkle in the fabric of her hat."
The figurative sense is commonly used for a small problem or complication in an otherwise workable arrangement.
To form folds or creases in something; figuratively, to complicate a situation or arrangement.
"The paper wrinkled as she folded it."
The verb can be transitive or intransitive and is neutral when literal but often slightly informal when figurative.
The standard plural of the noun, used for physical creases or figurative complications.
"Ironing removed the worst of the wrinkles."
The word's Old English ancestor, wrincla, described a physical crease long before wrinkle came to mean a complication in a plan.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wrinkle come from?
The English word descends through Middle English from Old English wrincla, used for a fold, crease, or wrinkle. It ultimately belongs to a Germanic family of words expressing the idea of a fold or rumpled surface, reflected in cognates such as German Runzel, Dutch rimpel, Danish rynke, and Swedish rynka. The physical meaning is ancient, while the figurative meanings developed later by extension from creases that interrupt a smooth surface to complications that interrupt a smooth plan.
Related word forms
How wrinkle is actually used
The word is standard in both British and American English. Figurative uses, especially “a wrinkle in the plan,” are common but can sound mildly informal; the literal senses are neutral and frequently describe skin, fabric, or other flexible surfaces.