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wrinkled
/ˈrɪŋkəld/
having lines or folds on the surface
She ironed the wrinkled shirt carefully.
She smoothed out the shirt's creases by ironing it.
neutral
having small lines, folds, or creases on a surface, often due to age, pressure, or lack of smoothness
The old man's face was deeply wrinkled from years of smiling and frowning.
His skin showed many lines and creases from aging.
The paper looked wrinkled after being left in the rain.
The paper had many unwanted creases from moisture.
Often describes skin, fabric, paper, or other materials that have lost their smoothness. Can imply age or wear.
Collocations
wrinkled skinskin with visible lines or creaseswrinkled clothesclothes with creases or foldsdeeply wrinkledhaving many or pronounced creases
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'wrinkle' (noun/verb)
Remember 'wrinkled' is the adjective form describing something that *has* wrinkles, while 'wrinkle' can be a noun (a line or crease) or verb (to form creases).
Gold Rule
Physical vs. metaphorical use
Use 'wrinkled' primarily for physical surfaces. For abstract concepts (e.g., plans, ideas), use 'flawed' or 'imperfect' instead.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'wrinkled', past participle of 'wrinklen' (to wrinkle), from Old English 'wrinclian' (to wind, twist), related to Old Norse 'rikla' (to wrinkle).
Usage Notes
Commonly used to describe physical surfaces like skin, fabric, or paper. Rarely used metaphorically in modern English, though historically could describe abstract concepts like 'wrinkled time'.
Word Breakdown
wrinkle
a line or fold on a surface
root-ed
adjective-forming suffix indicating 'having the quality of'
suffixEnglish Dictionary