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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 Simply let the meat brown first and start to break it up with a wooden or silicon spoon, then switch to the masher and put some elbow grease into it. — ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026 Look for Sawdust Piles of what looks like sawdust around vintage wooden furniture signal an active pest problem. — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 23 Sep. 2026 In July, Manila accused Chinese forces of firing water cannons at government vessels near Scarborough Shoal and striking a Philippine Navy staff member in the head with a wooden baton during an encounter at Second Thomas Shoal. — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 As an earthwork with a wooden palisade, however, much less of Antonius’s wall has survived the ensuing millennia. — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 21 Sep. 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 home was also searched thoroughly, but given the time period and social norms, officers felt uncomfortable going through a woman’s belongings.
    — Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Setting aside extraneously ornate and potentially uncomfortable earrings was par for the course, right?
    — Julia Hobbs, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Adjective
  • Feed your head Neagley gets off to a sluggish start, with a workmanlike, rather clumsy first episode largely spent establishing the main characters and central plot—and the writers lean a bit too hard on constant Chicago callbacks.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The residents of Mossy Bottom Farm are looking forward to Halloween – until the clumsy Farmer trashes the Flock’s beloved pumpkin patch.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Upheavals so profound are not accomplished without loosing uneasy spirits that will haunt us for many days.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Silicon sampling troubles some polling traditionalists who are uneasy about ethical and other implications of simulating human responses.
    — W. Joseph Campbell, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • That’s a large group tied to a device many users still feel awkward talking about openly.
    — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Their world is upended when an awkward city worker (Domhnall Gleeson) comes to uproot them.
    — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Bake this easy and tasty pineapple dessert in a tart pan or go free-form for a rustic look.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Where to Stay Hotels and Cabins The historic Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, has traditional lodge rooms, rustic-chic log cabins, and modern hotel rooms.
    — Taryn Shorr-Mckee, Midwest Living, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of rustic

Browse Nearby Words

wood
wooden
woodenhead
See all Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Wooden.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wooden. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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