Wooden
'wʊdən
Definitions
2 meaningsMade of wood.
'wʊdən
Made of wood
The children played with wooden blocks.
💡 Simply: It means something is made from wood, like a wooden toy or a wooden chair! Think about your desk; it's probably wooden!
👶 For kids: Made out of wood, like a toy or a box.
More Examples
He built a wooden fence around the garden.
She prefers wooden furniture to metal ones.
How It's Used
"The table was made of a beautiful, dark wooden oak."
"She carved a wooden bird from a single piece of wood."
Stiff, awkward, or lacking in expression or animation; resembling wood in rigidity.
'wʊdən
Lacking liveliness or warmth
His expression was wooden, showing no emotion.
💡 Simply: Imagine someone acting stiff or not showing any feelings, like a robot, or a statue. That’s a wooden expression or performance.
👶 For kids: If something is wooden it means its like made of wood, and doesn't move very well, or show emotion.
More Examples
The actor's wooden performance disappointed the audience.
The politician gave a wooden speech, failing to connect with the crowd.
How It's Used
"His face was wooden with grief."
"She gave a wooden performance during the play."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
wooden spoon
A symbolic award given to the team or person finishing last in a competition.
"The team received the wooden spoon for finishing last in the tournament."
From Old English *wudena, derived from *wudu (wood), meaning 'made of wood' or 'resembling wood'.
The word 'wooden' has been used since Old English times to describe objects made of wood.
Memory tip
Imagine a tree cut down and crafted into something useful. That's wooden!
Word Origin
"made of wood"