adjective
wooden
Made of wood, or stiff and lacking natural expression.
She keeps her favorite books on a sturdy wooden shelf.
Etymology
The suffix means made of the named material. Figuratively, wood's stiffness describes performance or expression lacking natural flexibility.
More examples
- He stirs the soup with a wooden spoon.
- Her wooden delivery makes the heartfelt speech sound rehearsed.
- The actor's movements seem wooden rather than relaxed.
Forms
wooden
woodenly adverb — In a stiff and expressionless manner.
woodenness noun — The quality of being stiff and expressionless.
Similar words
- stiff
- Describes rigid movement or behavior, not material composition.
- expressionless
- Emphasizes lack of visible emotion rather than awkward stiffness.