1
as in uncomfortable
lacking social grace and assurance
the conversation was somewhat stilted as we didn't seem to share any interests
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2
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
a stilted letter of apology that was written and accepted with equal measures of insincerity
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Recent Examples of stilted
Don’t Worry Darling, by contrast, felt too stilted and controlled, too programmed and predictable, almost as if the director felt obligated to rein in her stylistic impulses against a supposedly more complicated story.
—
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2026
The entry-level category lagoon studio suite starts at a generous 788 square-feet of indoor space, coupled with a 1,016-square-foot private patio with a heated plunge pool; for a bit more space, including a generous separate living room, book a stilted room that rests over the water.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2026
There are [the Sama-Bajau], people in Indonesia who live on stilted homes and live on rafts.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Yet Seehorn and Wydra’s interactions are more stilted than charged.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stilted
Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Jan. 2026
The entry-level category lagoon studio suite starts at a generous 788 square-feet of indoor space, coupled with a 1,016-square-foot private patio with a heated plunge pool; for a bit more space, including a generous separate living room, book a stilted room that rests over the water.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 3 Jan. 2026
There are [the Sama-Bajau], people in Indonesia who live on stilted homes and live on rafts.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 21 Dec. 2025
Yet Seehorn and Wydra’s interactions are more stilted than charged.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stilted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stilted
Adjective
-
The uncomfortable truth — considering the amount of blood and treasure spent — is that military solutions on their own rarely succeed.—
Obi Anyadike,
semafor.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
When swallowing becomes difficult, eating can feel tiring or uncomfortable.—
Sundeep Venkatesan,
The Conversation,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Such a debrief will help to blunt some of the emotion almost certain to surround her return to formal duties on the show.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
One possibility that can’t be ruled out is the Red Sox could trade Yoshida, who has played great since last September but who has become an awkward roster fit.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The world was first introduced to Saoirse-Monica Jackson as the awkward and expressive schoolgirl Erin Quinn in Derry Girls, navigating Troubles-era Northern Ireland and its conflict with the same fervor as her crushes, convent school, and cringe-inducing teenage chaos.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Google's $499 Pixel 10a feels a whole lot nicer to use.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Phase One currently is centered on a music theater that (from the point of view of the city) is very much in the nice-to-have-but-fully-served-elsewhere category and on a hotel, which is more promising but still less beneficial when compared with housing.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But it’s played sincerely, so the visual contrast just makes the connection feel clumsy, if not outright absurd.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
23 Mar. 2026
-
McGee meets one of a clumsy TURF intern Pete, who is revealed to be Olivia's 18-year-old son, Matteo (Patrick Keleher) under interrogation.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its decorous leaves are not even an inch long.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Lee Martino’s choreography, like the production as a whole, is at its best when observing decorous constraints.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Over years and then decades, the two women’s relationship swings between fierce sisterhood, bitter jealousy and an uneasy combination of the two.—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Reportedly, Kate is uneasy about the way Harry and Meghan have criticized the monarchy.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The ones named Grand Champion and Reserve Grand Champion by the judges make a ceremonious visit at the end of the day to the Brown Palace Hotel and Spa in downtown Denver.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
21 Jan. 2026
-
More convincing in the film is cinematographer Talant Akynbekov’s observant, almost ceremonious lensing of carpet weaving, as well as of the beats of everyday life, sometimes accompanied by the traditional tunes villagers hum.—
Tomris Laffly,
Variety,
23 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stilted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilted. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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