wooden

American  

[wood-n] / ˈwʊd 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:

   impassive, lifeless, vacant, expressionless

4. dull or stupid.

5. indicating the fifth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

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wooden British  

/ 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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• woodenly adverb
• woodenness noun

Etymology

Origin of wooden

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

Example Sentences

In his direct addresses to the jury, he used a set of wooden baby blocks, stacks of paper, even a hammer and a crate of eggs.

From Los Angeles Times

She had started preparing meals on the stove outside beneath a wooden carport after an earlier fire in the kitchen of the home caused damage, Officer E. Velazquez wrote in the document.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead, look for a track in a nook above the seating area, where one can race wooden blocks affixed with wheels — think Pinewood Derby — down a track painted to mimic a waterway.

From Los Angeles Times

The now-declassified CIA report cited a range of potential threats to crude-oil shipments through the strait, from sea mines to sabotage from tiny wooden craft known as dhows.

From The Wall Street Journal

Martínez had the man’s body cremated, and stored the ashes in a wooden niche in the shelter’s small chapel.

From Los Angeles Times