wooden

American  

[wood-n] / ˈwʊd n /

adjective

1. consisting or made of 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

“They’re not medically significant,” said Pat Wooden, the insect identification lab manager at Virginia Tech.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

The spider has recently been found in California, with the first report in October, Wooden said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

But like a sage on the basketball mountaintop, Wooden wouldn’t give a direct answer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

By then Wooden had become even more than a basketball coach to stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Wooden clubs, stone axes, mauls, spears with fire-hardened points, knives of bone and stone and dragon- glass, wicker shields, bone armor, boiled leather.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin