stilted
/ˈstɪltɪd/ adjective
Also a form of stilt
- adjective Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.
- adjective (figuratively) Elevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on redundant, unnecessary elements. “He gave a stilted bow and left.”
- adjective (architecture) 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.
Synonyms
awkward laboured affected theatrical effete fey recherché hoity-toity overrefined pansified precious pretentious smug stagy Woosterian artificial contrived hokey
Antonyms
Etymology
From stilt + -ed.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Elevated as if on stilts; hence, pompous; bombastic; as, a stilted style; stilted declamation. Stilted arch (Arch.), an arch in which the springing line is some distance above the impost, the space between being occupied by a vertical member, molded or ornamented, as a continuation of the archivolt, intrados, etc.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “stilted”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details