wooden

adjective

ˈwu̇-dᵊn How to pronounce wooden (audio)
Definition of woodennext
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance an eminent scientist who was wooden in front of television cameras

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wooden On another late summer night in New York, under the red glow of the DJ booth and a canopy of globe string lights, the rooftop’s wooden floorboards dip beneath scores of platform heels. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 At the front, a turntable rests in a wooden wall unit lined with more than a thousand vinyls, its central mirror tilted down to reflect the DJ’s hands at work. — Jaclyn Degiorgio, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026 When Polyphemus passes out, Odysseus and his men drive a wooden stake into his single eye. — Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026 Demonstrations involve tasks such as handling cardboard boxes, filling bottles, and loading and unloading wooden components. — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wooden
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wooden
  1. uncomfortable
  2. clumsy
  3. uneasy
  4. awkward
  5. rustic
Adjective
  • The quarterback Mike Macdonald has earned his paychecks from making quarterbacks uncomfortable.
    — Sam McDowell October 25, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Probably not enough to win, but enough to make laying nearly a touchdown uncomfortable.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Adjective
  • Here, his clumsy, winky, affected, and self-undercutting direction can’t even work the charming Jenna Ortega to a great performance, as her Klara is flattened into a bundle of manic pixie mannerisms both physical and verbal.
    — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Some Latinas are nerds, and some Latinas are quirky, and some of them are goofy and some of them are clumsy.
    — Johanna Ferreira, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • But bond markets are already uneasy with Brazil's growing debt-to-GDP ratio, and are likely to demand an ever-higher premium if public spending rises significantly.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The effort is backed by an uneasy alliance between the right-wing Make America Healthy Again movement and progressives, both motivated by concerns over food safety.
    — Elijah Wolfson, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The Basketmaker—whose skills go far beyond furniture making—weaves her a match, Fiddler on the Roof-like, and the Fisherwoman, after an awkward matrimonial moment, takes Wicker Husband home to her funky little cottage.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The pushback is awkward for a government that went out of its way to land the project.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • His creator, an unnamed basket-weaver (Peter Dinklage), braided him as a mate for a lonely virgin, a fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) who stomps around her rustic village smelling like sushi and tossing her head back in an Eliza Doolittle guffaw.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Think earthy stone surfaces, deep woods, and sleek modern headboards juxtaposed with the kind of rustic, wooly blankets that would fit nicely into Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of rustic

Browse Nearby Words

wood
wooden
woodenhead
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Cite this Entry

“Wooden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wooden. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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