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

A pool journalist allowed to tour the inside of the plane reported that it features leather seats, plush carpets, wooden panelling and walls colored tan and light brown with shades of gold.

From Barron's • Jun. 19, 2026

Pétanque is a French game that involves rolling hollow steel balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball.

From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026

Ben Klevay will welcome the museum by walking down the street in his “Can of Letters,” a giant wooden paint can, 42 inches across, with hand-lettering on the outside.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026

Mines stretch for miles in the nearby Brisas de Cuyuni area, where dirt roads wind between camps and plastic sheets cover simple wooden homes.

From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026

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

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott