stilted

[ stil-tid ]

adjective

1. stiffly dignified or formal, as speech or literary style; pompous.

   Synonyms: constrained, stuffy, mannered, wooden

2. Architecture. (of an arch) resting on imposts treated in part as downward continuations of the arch.

stilted

/ ˈstɪltɪd /

adjective

1. (of speech, writing, etc) formal, pompous, or bombastic
2. not flowing continuously or naturally

   stilted conversation

3. architect (of an arch) having vertical piers between the impost and the springing

Derived Forms

• ˈstiltedness, noun
• ˈstiltedly, adverb

Other Words From

• un·stilted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stilted¹

First recorded in 1610–20; stilt + -ed ³

Example Sentences

When he’s asked about my job, my new career that I’ve built over years now, I’ve felt stilted in how to respond.

From Slate

The conversation is stilted, so I ask him to tell me about his life and I tell him about my job.

From Los Angeles Times

He picked up his scissors and began to cut, hoping that his decades of experience would carry him through the stilted encounters.

From New York Times

Many of the fake social media posts were generated using ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot owned by OpenAI, and much of the language in the posts was "stilted" and repetitive, the Times reported.

From Salon

The dialogue is stilted, and the accents in the voice acting — particularly Gambit’s confusing, inconsistent Cajun twang — are abominable.

From New York Times

Related Words

• formal
• labored
• overblown
• pompous
• sonorous