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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
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026
In Nueva Venecia and Buenavista — two isolated fishing communities built almost entirely on wooden stilts over the water — large swaths of open water are now covered by the invasive plant.
—ABC News, 12 May 2026
The wooden board that had been covering the window was now on the far side of the room.
—James Verini, The Atlantic, 12 May 2026
It's accessed by a wooden ladder and is a typical loft room with a low ceiling and a bed.
—Adam Williams
may 12, New Atlas, 12 May 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 13 May. 2026.
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