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Humans have been making objects out of wood since before there even was an English language, but the adjectival use of "wood" didn't come into being until the 14th century, and "wooden" didn't appear until the 16th. (The word wood has ancient roots, but it originally existed only as a noun.) In Middle English, the adjective of choice was "tree" or "treen," as in a "tree vessel" or "treen shoes." "Treen" in turn came from the Old English word trēowen, from the noun "trēow" ("tree") and the suffix -en, which was used to indicate that something was composed of a certain material. As far as we know, no one ever used "treen" figuratively to describe things that are stiff as a board, but "wooden" was put to broader use soon after it was first recorded.
Synonyms of wooden
Examples of wooden in a Sentence
Victor Jacobo, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2026
The Pope usually takes the role of Jesus, carrying a wooden cross, but, last year, Francis, who was gravely ill, sent an aide in his stead.
—Paul Elie, New Yorker, 4 Apr. 2026
At its heart is a magnificent wooden lodge—the second-largest west of the Mississippi—with a sprawling wraparound deck overlooking horse pastures and corrals.
—Julie Bielenberg, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
The new extension was designed to echo the district’s iconic machiya, wooden townhouses, and features dimpled naguri floors, bamboo screens, zelkova, chestnut and cherry wood touches.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for wooden
Cite this Entry
“Wooden.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wooden. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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