wooden

[ wood-n ]

adjective

1. consisting or made of wood; wood:

   a wooden ship.

2. stiff, ungainly, or awkward:

   a wooden gait.

3. without spirit, animation, or awareness.

   Synonyms: expressionless, impassive, lifeless, vacant

4. dull or stupid.
5. indicating the fifth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

wooden

/ ˈwʊdən /

adjective

1. made from or consisting of wood
2. awkward or clumsy
3. bereft of spirit or animation

   a wooden expression

4. obstinately unyielding

   a wooden attitude

5. mentally slow or dull
6. not highly resonant

   a wooden thud

verb

1. slang.
   tr to fell or kill (a person or animal)

Derived Forms

• ˈwoodenly, adverb
• ˈwoodenness, noun

Other Words From

• wooden·ly adverb
• wooden·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wooden¹

First recorded in 1530–40; wood ¹ + -en ²

Example Sentences

Unfolding on a set of distressed wooden planks and hanging lanterns, “Our Town” gleams like a restored antique in this Broadway revival.

From Los Angeles Times

His role will be processing the letters and postcards left by those who stop at the tiny wooden museum from up to two cruise ships a day.

From BBC

Nine international defeats have followed including a World Cup quarter-final exit against Argentina, including a Six Nations Wooden Spoon and summer losses against South Africa and Australia.

From BBC

The Cenotaph as we see it now is a permanent structure made from Portland stone, but it began as a temporary, wooden structure.

From BBC

When Valenzuela Jr. stood at the wooden lectern, he spoke only in Spanish, trying to hold back tears.

From Los Angeles Times