1
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Legs wheeling, steve is a stilted shadow on the side of the road, a hundred feet before the finish line, waiting for me.
—
Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
The pilot opens with the arrival of his new second-in-command Dag, played by Lolly Adefope, who provides a somewhat stilted expository voice.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024
Instead, their stilted onscreen camaraderie does the film no favors, especially as Andy and Anna gradually begin to get on better.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 27 Sep. 2024
Vance, meanwhile, is the stilted right-winger who went to an Ivy League school, spent six years as a venture capitalist, and likes to spread conspiracy theories.
—Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stilted 
Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024
The pilot opens with the arrival of his new second-in-command Dag, played by Lolly Adefope, who provides a somewhat stilted expository voice.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 6 Oct. 2024
Instead, their stilted onscreen camaraderie does the film no favors, especially as Andy and Anna gradually begin to get on better.
—Manuel Betancourt, Variety, 27 Sep. 2024
Vance, meanwhile, is the stilted right-winger who went to an Ivy League school, spent six years as a venture capitalist, and likes to spread conspiracy theories.
—Condé Nast, The New Yorker, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for stilted
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stilted
Adjective
-
On just his second film, the gifted young helmer demonstrates a sophisticated sense of framing, pace and exquisitely uncomfortable dramatic tension, compounded by Jung-Jae Il’s anxious Philip Glass-like score.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Since then, Jupiter and Saturn have been in a tense and uncomfortable dance with each other, forming a square that has at times felt very motivating and inspiring, but also discouraging and alienating.—
Roya Backlund,
StyleCaster,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Switzerland and Serbia are willing to host this, but the Kremlin is waiting until after the Republican's inauguration before formal plans can take place.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Trump said Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance urged him to keep the controversial topics out of his formal inaugural address.—
Sara Dorn,
Forbes,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
What can expect from that visit and just kind of how awkward will things be now after these comments?—
Taylor Wilson,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
-
In his defense, the Anti-Defamation League tweeted from X that Musk’s gesture seemed to be an awkward expression of enthusiasm.—
Quartz Intelligence Newsroom,
Quartz,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The tip is $21,000, which is nice but not amazing, especially given all the dietary restrictions.—
Emma Soren,
Vulture,
28 Jan. 2025
-
There are nice details throughout like a walk-in closet in the primary and built-in custom bookshelves in the living room.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
28 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Amazon’s best-selling soup bowls are made with triple-layered glass that even the clumsiest folks may find hard to break.—
Ashley Zlatopolsky,
Southern Living,
29 Jan. 2025
-
Okay too many clumsy Star Wars references there, but one thing the report also correctly notes is that this would be a rare development where Star Wars recruits a top A-list actor to star in a film.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes,
22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence.—
Joshua Rothman,
The New Yorker,
25 Jan. 2025
-
Aside from a series of gruesome martyr scenes frescoed on the interior wall of the second ring in the late 16th century, the décor reflects late Imperial taste for decorous abstraction and costly materials.—
David Laskin,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Add Vargas to the long list of Americans who have been uneasy about TikTok’s future.—
Jeff Gluck,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
-
For all of their uneasy gazing and silent discernment, artful visages are a key element in the decor.—
Leilani Marie Labong,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Roberts began the process while Melania was still finalizing her position, which may have disrupted the ceremonious act.—
Lizzie Hyman,
People.com,
20 Jan. 2025
-
The vice president’s role in officiating the Electoral College count before Congress — the final step in the election process before a president takes the White House — was known for many cycles as one that was mostly uneventful and largely ceremonious.—
Alex Gangitano,
The Hill,
6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near stilted
Cite this Entry
“Stilted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stilted. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share