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

As the Spiritualists had requested, a large wooden board had been raised on wood strips, creating a low platform.

From Literature

For the last six years, she had been selling wooden crafts and keyrings through a page on Instagram - one of hundreds of thousands of Iranian women making a living that way.

From BBC

On the roof of the 25-storey block, overlooking a sea of residential towers stretching across the horizon, he dusted fresh snowfall off dozens of solar panels with a wooden brush.

From Barron's

When he arrived in the windowed room at the back of the Shipwreck, C.C. had already set up the big wooden table with many items.

From Literature

He came to The Mountain to sell goods from The Kingdom—colorful threads, clay pots, and wooden spoons.

From Literature