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

Derived Forms

• woodenness
  noun
• woodenly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of wooden

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

Example Sentences

Using a wooden spoon, stir the lentils often to avoid burning them.

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

But since a fan was bitten by a farm dog, the family has posted wooden signs along the road with “by appointment only” scrawled in black paint.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

Events include the wooden pillar throw, sack race and shin-kicking, where players pad their legs with straw and attempt to force their opponent to the ground.

From BBC • May 30, 2026

This time he went further, turning the wooden organ pipes, or “French fries,” into a tree.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

Duane had brought him a hand mirror with an ornately carved wooden handle.

From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el