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

There are all sorts of giant gadgets for the games, which might involve skill or stamina or being smart and involve a giant gumball machine or lickable wallpaper, per the book and movie. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Highlights of the design include white oak floors beneath cathedral ceilings, sophisticated millwork, patterned wallpapers, and stone finishes. — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

Much of the decor centers around herons, like a bird wallpapered at the checkout desk and even the store’s mascot, Artie, who’s become an important symbol for the two owners. — Kansas City Star, 18 Aug. 2026

But the bathroom is stylishly 1940s with black and yellow tile, striped wallpaper, chrome fixtures, and some modest, period-appropriate updates, and there’s more style in the entry hall, wallpapered with storks on a red background. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Aug. 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