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

Painting the wallpaper was super easy and the paint rolled right on with a standard roller brush. —Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Jan. 2026

Varsity patches, slogan tees and painted are the main items, as well prints that can be tailored to a specific city or interest like wallpaper florals and toile. —Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 20 Jan. 2026

Verb

Add a designer touch by painting the inside of the open cabinet with an accent color, wallpapering behind the shelves, or adding fabric. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 Jan. 2026

This can include installing shiplap, beadboard, or picture frame molding, versus painting or wallpapering just one wall. —Shivani Vyas, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025

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