What does "stilted" mean?
simple past and past participle of stilt
Stilted
/ˈstɪltɪd/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: simple past and past participle of stilt
- Grammar: stilted is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: artificial, contrived, academic inarticulacy, affected.
- Useful contrasts: breathiest, chummier, colloquial french vocabulary.
- Usage evidence: Your playing sounds a bit stilted. You have to loosen up your fingers.
How to use "stilted"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "stilted" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "stilted" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "stilted" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "stilted" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "stilted" is acting as adj, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "artificial" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "stilted", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 simple past and past participle of stilt form-of, participle, past
Adjective
- 1 Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.
"And laugh at this fantaſtic Mummery, / This antic Prelude of groteſque Events, / Where Dwarfs are often ſtilted, and betray / A Littleneſs of ſoul by Worlds o'er-run, / And Nations laid in blood."
- 2 Elevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on redundant, unnecessary elements. figuratively
"He gave a stilted bow and left."
- 3 Of a building or architectural feature such as an arch or vault: supported by stilts (“supporting pillars or posts”); also (generally) having the main part raised above the usual level by some structure.
"In Winchester Cathedral and Romsey Abbey Church, we have examples of what is called the stilted or horse-shoe arch, which is where the curvature of the arch does not spring immediately from the capitals or imposts of the piers, but the extreme points of the semicircle are continued straight down below the spring of the curve before they rest on the imposts, thus giving the idea of an arch stilted or raised, and somewhat approximating in form that of a horse-shoe."
Adjective
- 1 artificially formal wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Your playing sounds a bit stilted. You have to loosen up your fingers."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "stilted"?
Common synonyms include: artificial, contrived, academic inarticulacy, affected, artificial, aureate.
How do you use "stilted" in a sentence?
Your playing sounds a bit stilted. You have to loosen up your fingers.
How do you pronounce "stilted"?
Pronounced /ˈstɪltɪd/.
Etymology
From stilt + -ed.