wallpaper

1 of 2

noun

wall·​pa·​per ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər 

1

: decorative paper for the walls of a room

2

: the background image or set of images displayed on a computer screen

After becoming a member, the user gets to design a homepage with his or her choice of pictures, music, wallpaper, writing, and information making each page unique.

—Fahiym Ratcliffe

wallpaper

2 of 2

verb

wallpapered; wallpapering; wallpapers

transitive verb

: to provide the walls of (a room) with wallpaper

intransitive verb

: to put wallpaper on a wall

Examples of wallpaper in a Sentence

Noun

The wallpaper began to peel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Her renovation didn’t bring in Duncan Phyfe chairs and period-appropriate wallpaper, either, but instead pared the home back to its raw materials and simple forms. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 23 Apr. 2026

All the wallpapers are inspired by the landscapes of the nearby Retiro Park, just as the mosaics in the showers evoke a bird's-eye view of the Royal Botanic Gardens. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026

Verb

Schuch led the way through a room wallpapered with whimsical non-starters dreamed up by the artist Jacques Carelman: a sinuous Ping-Pong table, transparent playing cards. —Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026

Paint or wallpaper the shelves or choose shelving that comes in color. —Kelley Bruss, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1827, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1918, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for wallpaper

• newspaper
• notepaper
• sandpaper
• skyscraper
• wastepaper
• caper
• paper
• raper
• scraper
• shaper
• taper
• vapor

Kids Definition

wallpaper

noun

wall·​pa·​per

ˈwȯl-ˌpā-pər

: decorative paper for covering the walls of a room

wallpaper verb