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

• woodenness
  noun
• woodenly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wooden

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wooden

It also provides direct access to a sandy beach with a wooden staircase situated around the back of the house.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

Waiters weave through packed aisles carrying foaming one-liter mugs, and strangers at long wooden tables quickly become friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026

The trophy is a giant version of the traditional wooden tool used for stirring porridge, thick soups, and stew.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Catholics believe that in 1717, three fishermen watched in wonder as their nets spilled over with fish after they rescued a wooden statue of Our Lady of Aparecida from the river.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

There were dark wooden shelves on the walls piled with stacks of his comic books.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott