stilted

[stil-tid] / ˈstɪl tɪd /

ADJECTIVE

artificial, pretentious

Synonyms

STRONGEST

formal labored overblown pompous sonorous

WEAK

affected angular aureate bombastic constrained decorous egotistic euphuistic flowery forced genteel grandiloquent high-flown high-sounding inflated magniloquent mincing pedantic prim rhetorical stiff unnatural wooden

Antonyms

STRONGEST

relaxed

WEAK

genuine honest true

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The malevolent attention paid to Black’s stilted pop song reached levels no internet phenomenon had ever encountered.

From Salon • Feb. 16, 2026

Never-campers might opt for Sediba Sa Rona, which opens the same month with stilted suites overlooking the Khwai River.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025

Discussion of the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics was mostly delivered with stilted hamminess from both, with Martin occasionally shoehorning in jokes that Meier did not pick up on.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2025

This campaign season, PAP ministers better known for stilted pre-written speeches have also been filming skits with social media influencers and sitting down for long conversations on podcasts.

From BBC • May 1, 2025

And the prose in the memoranda of other officers was always turgid, stilted, or ambiguous.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller

Vocabulary lists containing stilted

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Unbroken

Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!

Echo

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!