Meanings
wrinkle1
nounwrinkle (plural wrinkles)
plural wrinkles · alternative obsolete wrincle
- A fault, imperfection or bug especially in a new system or product; typically, they will need to be ironed out.
We need to iron out the wrinkles in the plan before implementing it.
- informalA twist on something existing; a novel difference.
We've added a couple of new wrinkles to the policy.
1 more example
There were now a grab bag of southern country-rock units with a new wrinkle—Black Oak Arkansas, for one, combined psychedelia, fifties rock, Hindu spiritualism, and gospel into “psycho-boogie,” or “raunch 'n' roll.”
2015, Mark Ribowsky, Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars
wrinkle2
verbwrinkle (third-person singular simple present wrinkles, present participle wrinkling, simple past and past participle wrinkled)
present singular third person wrinkles · participle present wrinkling · participle past wrinkled · past wrinkled
- transitiveTo make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles.
Be careful not to wrinkle your dress before we arrive.
2 more examples
her wrinkled form in black and white array'd
1712 May, [Alexander Pope], “The Rape of the Locke. An Heroi-comical Poem.”, in Miscellaneous Poems and Translations. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott […], →OCLC, cantoIt was a pity nobody saw the display in the empty street, where the auroral breeze wrinkled a large luminous puddle, making of the telephone wires reflected in it illegible lines of black zigzags.
1957 March 7, Vladimir Nabokov, chapter 4.9, in Pnin, Heinemann, page 110 - intransitiveTo develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age.
The skin is the substance that wrinkles, shows age, stretches, scars and cuts.
- intransitiveobsoleteTo sneer (at).
Ther's some weakenes in your brother you wrinkle at
1604 (date written), Iohn Marston [i.e., John Marston], Parasitaster, or The Fawne, […], London: […] T[homas] P[urfoot] for W[illiam] C[otton], published 1606, →OCLC, (please specify the page)
wrinkle3
Wrinkle4
Synonyms & antonyms
nouna slight depression or fold in the smoothness of a surface
Broader
verbmake wrinkles or creases on a smooth surface; make a pressed, folded or wrinkled line in; ‘crisp’ is archaic
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
wrinkle · noun
- Middle Englishwrinkle
- Englishwrinkle
From Middle English wrinkle, wrynkel (“crease, fold, wrinkle”), from the verb (see below). Cognate with Dutch wrinkel (“wrinkle, crease”). Compare also Middle English runkel (“wrinkle”), from Old Norse hrukka (“wrinkle”), from Proto-Germanic *hrunkwǭ (“wrinkle, crease”), whence also French fronce (“crooked smile, scowl, frown”), German Runzel (“wrinkle”), Danish rynke (“wrinkle”), Swedish rynka and rynkla (“wrinkle”).
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →wrinkle · verb
- Old English*wrinclian
- Middle Englishwrynklen
- Englishwrinkle
From Middle English wrynklen, wrinklen (“to wrinkle”), from Old English *wrinclian (attested in past participle ġewrinclod (“wrinkled, crooked, winding”)). Cognate with Middle Dutch wronckelen, wrinckelen (“to wind, wrap, meander”), modern dialectal Dutch wrinkelen (“to wrinkle”). Compare also Middle English runklen (“to wrinkle, become wrinkled”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans plooi, rimpel
- plooiline or crease in the skin
- rimpelline or crease in the skin
Ancient Greek ῥυτίς, φαρκίς
- ῥυτίς (rhutís)line or crease in the skin
- φαρκίς (pharkís)line or crease in the skin
Arabic جَعْدَة, تَجَعُّد
- جَعْدَة (jaʕda)furrow in a smooth surface
- تَجَعُّد (tajaʕʕud)line or crease in the skin
- جَعْدَة (jaʕda)line or crease in the skin
Bulgarian гъ́нка, бръ́чка
- гъ́нка (gắnka)furrow in a smooth surface
- бръ́чка (brắčka)line or crease in the skin
- смачквам (smačkvam)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- нагъвам (nagăvam)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
- сбръчквам се (sbrăčkvam se)to develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Catalan arruga, solc
- arrugafurrow in a smooth surface
- solcfurrow in a smooth surface
- clivellafurrow in a smooth surface
- arrugaline or crease in the skin
- imperfecciófault, imperfection or bug
- defectefault, imperfection or bug
- tarafault, imperfection or bug
- arrugarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- arrugar-seto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- sortir arruguesto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Chinese Cantonese 皺紋 /皱纹
- 皺紋 /皱纹 (zau³ man⁴)line or crease in the skin
Chinese Mandarin 皺紋 /皱纹, 皺 /皱
- 皺紋 /皱纹 (zhòuwén)line or crease in the skin
- 皺 /皱 (zhòu)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Czech vráska
- vráskaline or crease in the skin
Danish krølle, rynke
- krøllefurrow in a smooth surface
- rynkeline or crease in the skin
- krølleto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Dutch rimpel, kreuken
- rimpelline or crease in the skin
- kreukento make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Esperanto falto, haŭtsulketo
- faltoline or crease in the skin
- haŭtsulketoline or crease in the skin
- difektetofault, imperfection or bug
- faltigito make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- faltiĝito develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Estonian korts, kortsud
- kortsline or crease in the skin
- kortsudline or crease in the skin
Finnish ryppy, juonne
- ryppyfurrow in a smooth surface
- juonnefurrow in a smooth surface
- ryppyline or crease in the skin
- vikafault, imperfection or bug
- virhefault, imperfection or bug
- bugifault, imperfection or bug
- lastentautifault, imperfection or bug
- rypistääto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- kurtistaato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- rypistyäto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- kurtistuato pucker or become uneven or irregular
French aspérité, ride
- aspéritéfurrow in a smooth surface
- rideline or crease in the skin
- froisserto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- riderto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- plisserto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
German Falte, Falte
- Faltefurrow in a smooth surface
- Falteline or crease in the skin
- Runzelline or crease in the skin
- Problemfault, imperfection or bug
- zerknitternto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- runzelnto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- verschrumpelnto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- schrumpelnto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- schrumpelnto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- verschrumpelnto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- runzelig werdento develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- alternto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Greek πτυχή, ζάρα
- πτυχή (ptychí)furrow in a smooth surface
- ζάρα (zára)furrow in a smooth surface
- ρυτίδα (rytída)line or crease in the skin
- ζάρα (zára)line or crease in the skin
- ζάρα (zára)fault, imperfection or bug
- ζαρώνω (zaróno)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- ζαρώνω (zaróno)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
Hungarian egyenetlenség, gyűrődés
- egyenetlenségfurrow in a smooth surface
- gyűrődésfurrow in a smooth surface
- ráncline or crease in the skin
- redőline or crease in the skin
- barázdaline or crease in the skin
- ráncolto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Icelandic hrukka, korpa
- hrukkaline or crease in the skin
- korpaline or crease in the skin
- krumpato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Indonesian kedut
- kedutline or crease in the skin
Italian crepa, asperità
- crepafurrow in a smooth surface
- asperitàfurrow in a smooth surface
- irregolaritàfurrow in a smooth surface
- rugaline or crease in the skin
- grinzaline or crease in the skin
- imperfezionefault, imperfection or bug
- raggrinzireto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- spiegazzareto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Japanese 皺, しわが寄る
- 皺 (shiwa)line or crease in the skin
- しわが寄る (shiwa ga yoru)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- 皺ばむ (shiwabamu)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Korean 주름지다
- 주름지다 (jureumjida)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Latin rūga, rūga
- rūgafurrow in a smooth surface
- rūgaline or crease in the skin
- caperrōto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Lithuanian raukšlė
- raukšlėline or crease in the skin
Māori hākorukoru, kurehe
- hākorukorufurrow in a smooth surface
- kurehefurrow in a smooth surface
- reheline or crease in the skin
- rehengaline or crease in the skin
- ngeneline or crease in the skin
- hākorukoruline or crease in the skin
Norwegian rynke
- rynkeline or crease in the skin
Persian آژنگ, چروک
- آژنگ (âžang)furrow in a smooth surface
- چروک (čoruk)line or crease in the skin
Polish zmarszczka, zmarszczka
- zmarszczkafurrow in a smooth surface
- zmarszczkaline or crease in the skin
- pomarszczyćto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- marszczyćto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- zmarszczyćto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- marszczyć sięto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- zmarszczyć sięto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Portuguese ruga, ruga
- rugafurrow in a smooth surface
- rugaline or crease in the skin
- enrugarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- amassarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Romanian cuta, rida
- cutato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- ridato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- încrețito make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- zbârcito make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- plisato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
Russian скла́дка, морщи́на
- скла́дка (skládka)furrow in a smooth surface
- морщи́на (morščína)line or crease in the skin
- мять (mjatʹ)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- смина́ть (sminátʹ)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- смять (smjatʹ)to make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- мо́рщить (mórščitʹ)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
- смо́рщить (smórščitʹ)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
- мо́рщиться (mórščitʹsja)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
- смо́рщиться (smórščitʹsja)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
Slovak záhyb, vráska
- záhybfurrow in a smooth surface
- vráskaline or crease in the skin
- pokrčiťto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- krčiťto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- vráskavieťto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- zvráskavieťto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- vráskavieťto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- zvráskavieťto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Spanish arruga f ruga, enruga
- arruga f rugafurrow in a smooth surface
- enrugafurrow in a smooth surface
- engurrafurrow in a smooth surface
- arrugaline or crease in the skin
- enrugaline or crease in the skin
- arrugarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- rugarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- enrugarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- engurrarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- ajarto make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- rugarseto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- arrugarseto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- rugarto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- arrugarseto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- ajarseto develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Swedish skrynkla, rynka
- skrynklafurrow in a smooth surface
- rynkaline or crease in the skin
- skrynklato make wrinkles in; to cause to have wrinkles
- skrynkla sigto pucker or become uneven or irregular
- rynkato develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Tagalog kulubot
- kulubotline or crease in the skin
Tamil சுருக்கு, சுருக்கு
- சுருக்கு (curukku)furrow in a smooth surface
- சுருக்கு (curukku)line or crease in the skin
- சுருங்கு (curuṅku)to pucker or become uneven or irregular
- சுருங்கு (curuṅku)to develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
- சுருக்குவிழு (curukkuviḻu)to develop irreversibly wrinkles; to age
Thai ริ้วรอย, รอยย่น
- ริ้วรอย (ríu-rɔɔi)line or crease in the skin
- รอยย่นline or crease in the skin
Turkish kırışıklık, buruşukluk
- kırışıklıkfurrow in a smooth surface
- buruşuklukline or crease in the skin
- kırışıklıkline or crease in the skin
- küçük problemfault, imperfection or bug
- küçük sorunfault, imperfection or bug
Ukrainian змо́ршка
- змо́ршка (zmórška)line or crease in the skin
Vietnamese nếp nhăn
- nếp nhănline or crease in the skin
Welsh crych, tolc
- crychfurrow in a smooth surface
- tolcfurrow in a smooth surface
- crychline or crease in the skin
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with wrinkle
sprinkletwinklewinklecrinkletinkleatinkleatwinkleblinklechinkledrinkleholy-water sprinkleinklekinklestrinkletincal
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
wrinkle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrinkle
MLA
“wrinkle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrinkle. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “wrinkle,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wrinkle.
Source: wrinkle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.