stilted

stilt·ed

(stĭl′tĭd)

adj.

1. Stiffly or artificially formal; stiff: stilted prose.

2. Architecture Having some vertical length between the impost and the beginning of the curve. Used of an arch.

stilt′ed·ly adv.

stilt′ed·ness n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

stilted

(ˈstɪltɪd)

adj

1. (of speech, writing, etc) formal, pompous, or bombastic

2. not flowing continuously or naturally: stilted conversation.

3. (Architecture) architect (of an arch) having vertical piers between the impost and the springing

ˈstiltedly adv

ˈstiltedness n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

stilt•ed

(ˈstɪl tɪd)

adj.

stiffly dignified or formal, as speech or literary style; pompous.

[1610–20]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Adj.

stilted - artificially formal; "that artificial humility that her husband hated"; "contrived coyness"; "a stilted letter of acknowledgment"; "when people try to correct their speech they develop a stilted pronunciation"

artificial, contrived, hokey

affected, unnatural - speaking or behaving in an artificial way to make an impression

stilted

adjective stiff, forced, wooden, laboured, artificial, inflated, constrained, unnatural, high-flown, pompous, pretentious, pedantic, bombastic, grandiloquent, high-sounding, arty-farty (informal), fustian His delivery was stilted and occasionally stumbling.
free, natural, spontaneous, flowing, fluid, unaffected, unpretentious

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

stilted

adjective

So rigidly constrained, formal, or awkward as to lack all grace and spontaneity:

buckram, starchy, stiff, wooden.

Translations

affété artificiel emprunté magnifique précieux

ampolloso

oppstyltet

stilted

[ˈstɪltɪd] ADJ [person] → afectado; [conversation, style, manner] → forzado, poco natural
her English is rather stilted (non-native speaker) → su inglés no suena muy natural; (native speaker) → tiene un inglés bastante rebuscado or afectado

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

stilted

[ˈstɪltəd] adj [conversation, delivery] → guindé(e)

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

stilted

adj, stiltedly

adv → gestelzt, gespreizt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

stilted

[ˈstɪltɪd] adj (style) → artificioso/a; (way of speaking) → formale; (translation) → poco naturale

References in classic literature ?

'In fact, you wonder that I can like any one so unlike the stilted heroes of romance.

View in context

In some of his works, especially 'The Rambler,' where, it has been jocosely suggested, he was exercising the polysyllables that he wished to put into his 'Dictionary,' he does employ a stilted Latinized vocabulary and a stilted style, with too much use of abstract phrases for concrete ones, too many long sentences, much inverted order, and over-elaborate balance.

View in context

Then he wondered whether what she said had any meaning for her: perhaps she knew no other way to express her genuine feelings than the stilted language of The Family Herald.

View in context

It had become at once more official,--a trifle more stilted.

View in context

Around the enchanted boundaries of the little park street cars spat and mewed and the stilted trains roared like tigers and lions prowling for a place to enter.

View in context

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close