STILTED Synonyms: 109 Similar and Opposite Words

stilted

adjective

ˈstil-təd

Definition of stilted

as in uncomfortable

lacking social grace and assurance the conversation was somewhat stilted as we didn't seem to share any interests

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 stilted Staffers are unfailingly warm and helpful, while never seeming stiff or stilted. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 June 2026 Tensions between Rian and Patrick flare when Rian drunkenly mentions a brief fling with Shiv, though the film’s clunky edit, which gives little room for the performances to breathe and play out organically within their contexts, makes these frictions feel stilted and juvenile. — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 22 May 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for stilted

Recent Examples of Synonyms for stilted

Adjective

Germany said temperatures in the classrooms have been manageable at times but can become uncomfortable.

— Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
In a weird way, those injuries prepared me for uncomfortable feelings and tough times.

— Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of uncomfortable

Adjective

The Moon in Pisces moves through your 6th House of Work, Health, and Daily Routines while making an awkward angle to Venus in Libra and your 1st House of Self.

— Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Aug. 2026
Most of us have felt awkward during those first tentative steps back into dating.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of awkward

Adjective

What used to be called UFOs and now go by the more decorous handle of UAPs—or unidentified anomalous phenomena—are being given the full investigatory treatment.

— Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 6 Aug. 2026
The press coverage in Austria and Germany had been relatively decorous.

— William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026

Definition of decorous

Adjective

Kurt's key takeaways Hearing AI on a 911 call would make a lot of people uneasy.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
Falwell correctly sensed vulnerability in the uneasy alliance between rationalism and Christianity that had prevailed since the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Adjective

It is celebrated with a ceremonious parade that features a cavalcade of men dressed in Roman soldier costumes, evoking a sense of solemn thanksgiving and spiritual devotion.

— Condé Nast Traveler, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2026
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

Definition of ceremonious

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stilt

stilted

stilts

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Style

“Stilted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilted. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of stilted

adjective

Example Sentences

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