Standard Lemma guide

stilted

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /ˈstɪltɪd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: S T IH1 L T IH0 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unstilted

2

adj

Meaning 2

Elevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on redundant, unnecessary elements.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • He gave a stilted bow and left.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: awkward, laboured, affected, theatrical, effete, fey, recherché, hoity-toity, overrefined, pansified, precious, pretentious, smug, stagy, stilted, Woosterian

Antonyms: humble, natural, unstilted

3

adj

Meaning 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.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: architecture

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: unstilted

4

verb

Meaning 4

simple past and past participle of stilt

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

artificially formal

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • that artificial humility that her husband hated
  • contrived coyness
  • a stilted letter of acknowledgment
  • when people try to correct their speech they develop a stilted pronunciation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: artificial, contrived, hokey

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From stilt + -ed.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Italian: su pali — making use of or possessing stilts; raised on stilts
  • Russian: на сва́ях (na svájax) — making use of or possessing stilts; raised on stilts
  • Russian: на ходу́лях (na xodúljax) — making use of or possessing stilts; raised on stilts
  • Russian: на подпо́рках (na podpórkax) — making use of or possessing stilts; raised on stilts
  • French: guindé — stiff and artificially formal
  • German: gestelzt — stiff and artificially formal
  • Icelandic: klúsaður — stiff and artificially formal
  • Icelandic: tilgerðarlegur — stiff and artificially formal
  • Icelandic: uppskrúfaður — stiff and artificially formal
  • Italian: affettato — stiff and artificially formal
  • Italian: forzato — stiff and artificially formal
  • Italian: ingessato — stiff and artificially formal
  • Latvian: stīvs — stiff and artificially formal
  • Norwegian: oppstyltet — stiff and artificially formal
  • Polish: nienaturalny — stiff and artificially formal
  • Polish: sztuczny — stiff and artificially formal
  • Polish: wymuszony — stiff and artificially formal
  • Russian: высокопа́рный (vysokopárnyj) — stiff and artificially formal
  • Russian: напы́щенный (napýščennyj) — stiff and artificially formal
  • Russian: ходу́льный (xodúlʹnyj) — stiff and artificially formal
  • Spanish: acartonado — stiff and artificially formal
  • Spanish: afectado — stiff and artificially formal
  • Swedish: uppstyltad — stiff and artificially formal
  • Italian: pomposo — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Polish: nadęty — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Polish: paradny — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Polish: pompatyczny — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Portuguese: pomposo — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Russian: помпе́зный (pompéznyj) — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Spanish: redicho — stiff and artificially pompous
  • Turkish: yapmacık — stiff and artificially pompous