Definitions

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

We held stilted conversation the rest of the drive back to L.A.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 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

The store was quiet, except for the soft strains of stilted oboe music.

From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff

Vocabulary lists containing stilted

The Vocabulary.com Top 1000

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Unbroken

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Echo

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