stilted

/'stiltid/

Thân thiện

Her speech sounded stilted during the formal presentation.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Artificially formal or stiff: Describes language, behavior, or style that is excessively formal, unnatural, and lacking in ease or spontaneity. It often results from trying too hard to be correct or impressive.
   • Elevated on or as if on stilts: In architecture or description, something raised on supports, giving an elevated or unnatural appearance.

Usage and Examples

• Describing language or speech:
  • His speech was so stilted that it was hard to listen to; he sounded like he was reading from a very old textbook.
  • Avoid stilted language in your emails; try to write as you would speak naturally.
• Describing behavior or manner:
  • Their conversation felt stilted and awkward, full of long pauses and overly polite phrases.
  • The actor's stilted performance made the character seem unrealistic and wooden.

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• In literary criticism: A stilted writing style is one that is pompous, pedantic, and fails to flow naturally, often using archaic or inappropriately complex vocabulary.
  • The novel's dialogue was criticized for being stilted and unconvincing.
• In linguistics: Refers to pronunciation that is overly careful and unnatural, often observed when someone is consciously trying to modify their accent or speak a foreign language.
  • Language learners sometimes have a stilted accent until they gain more confidence and fluency.

Variants and Related Words

• Stiltedly (adverb): In a stilted manner.
  • He spoke stiltedly, pausing after every word.
• Stiltedness (noun): The quality of being stilted.
  • The stiltedness of the official document made it difficult to understand.

Synonyms

• Artificial: Not arising from natural or genuine feelings; contrived.
• Stiff: Lacking ease or grace; rigid.
• Wooden: Stiff and unnatural in manner.
• Pompous: Affectedly grand, solemn, or self-important.
• Labored: Done with great effort and difficulty; not fluent or natural.

Antonyms

• Natural: Free from affectation or artificiality.
• Spontaneous: Performed or occurring as a result of a sudden impulse.
• Fluid: Smooth and unconstrained in movement or style.
• Casual: Relaxed and unconcerned; not formal.

Idioms and Phrases

• To sound stilted: To speak or write in an unnaturally formal way.
  • If you memorize the speech, you might sound stilted. Try to learn the ideas instead.
• Stilted prose: Writing that is artificially elevated and difficult to read.
  • The academic paper was full of stilted prose that obscured its main arguments.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. artificially formal
   • 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

Từ đồng nghĩa

• artificial
• contrived
• hokey