How to describe a previously crumpled but now 'flat' sheet of paper that has been crumpled before?

Question

How do you describe the state of a now-flat sheet of paper that has previously been crumpled?

Should I just use crumpled as in, "The paper is crumpled" (even though it's not in a crumpled ball shape: it's flat with lines on it that have formed from it's being crumpled previously)?

terdon · Accepted Answer

I think you are looking for wrinkled:

wrin·kle, noun 
  1. a small furrow or crease in the skin, especially of the face, as from aging or frowning. 
  2. a temporary slight ridge or furrow on a surface, due to contraction, folding, crushing, or the like.

The second meaning above describes uncrumpled paper perfectly:

I flattened the page out but it was still wrinkled.

James Waldby - jwpat7 · Answer

Uncrumpled,  participle of uncrumple (“To return something which has been crumpled, closer to its original state”), may be a good choice.  Wiktionary example sentences include:

I took the wadded up letter from the trash and carefully uncrumpled it.
  As the newspaper uncrumpled, the picture on the frontpage become recognizable.

Huggy · Answer

The word 'scrunched, i.e. "crumpled up", comes to mind (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scrunch)
This is definitely used in England. However, I don't think placing the prefix -un (unscrunched) works to smooth out the crumpled up paper.

How to describe a previously crumpled but now 'flat' sheet of paper that has been crumpled before?

3 Answers

Add your own answers!

Ask a Question