# wooden

/ˈwʊdən/ (US) · /wˈʊdən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wooden
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. made of wood

adjective · CEFR A2

made from the hard substance of a tree.

For teachers: composed or constructed of wood.

- We sat at a large wooden table in the middle of the kitchen.
- The artisan spent months carving the intricate patterns into the wooden chest, using traditional tools passed down through his family.

### 2. stiff or unnatural

adjective · CEFR B2

moving or speaking in a stiff way that does not show much feeling.

For teachers: lacking ease, grace, or emotional responsiveness; stiff and unnatural in movement or delivery.

- The actor's performance was a bit wooden and didn't feel real.
- Critics dismissed the lead actor's wooden delivery, noting that he failed to convey the internal conflict central to the character's development.

## Examples

- We bought a beautiful wooden table for the dining room.
- The old cabin features heavy wooden beams and a floor made of polished pine.
- While the set design was visually stunning, the lead actor gave a wooden performance that failed to capture the emotional depth of the script.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.