wooden
gb/wˈʊdən/ us/wˈʊdən/
A1
English
~ 2500
Senses
0 senses
adjective
A1
property
1
Made from wood
Made from wood.
Usage pattern:
a wooden [object]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'wooden' with 'wood', using 'a wood chair' instead of 'a wooden chair'.
Synonyms
timber (Refers to wood prepared for building; not always interchangeable with 'wooden' when describing objects.)
Antonyms
metal (Describes something made of metal, which contrasts with being made of wood.)
Collocations
wooden chair
|wooden table
|wooden spoon
|wooden fence
|wooden door
Themes
materials
|construction
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The cabin had a large wooden deck overlooking the lake.
- She stirred the soup with a wooden spoon.
- A wooden fence surrounded the garden.
- The museum displayed a wooden sculpture from the 18th century.
Learner examples
- I have a wooden chair.
- This is a wooden table.
- The toy is wooden.
- He made a wooden box.
adjective
B1
property
2
Stiff or unnatural in behavior
Not natural or relaxed in the way someone moves or speaks.
Usage pattern:
a wooden [performance/smile/expression]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this sense with something literally made of wood, misunderstanding figurative use.
Synonyms
stilted (Implies overly formal or unnatural speech or movement.)
Antonyms
natural (Describes behavior that is relaxed and lifelike, opposite to stiff or awkward.)
Collocations
wooden performance
|wooden smile
|wooden expression
Themes
emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- His acting was criticized for being wooden and emotionless.
- She gave a wooden smile before leaving the room.
- The speech sounded wooden and rehearsed.
Learner examples
- The actor was wooden in the play.
- He gave a wooden smile.
- Her voice was wooden.
Grammar
Expressions
wooden face
1/wˈʊdən fˈeɪs/
fixed phrase
Expressionless face
A face that shows no feelings or emotions.
Examples
- She listened with a wooden face, giving nothing away.
- His wooden face made it hard to know what he was thinking.
wooden spoon
1/wˈʊdən spˈun/
idiom
Award for last place
An informal award given to the person or team that finishes last in a competition.
Examples
- Our team got the wooden spoon after losing every match.
- He joked about winning the wooden spoon in the quiz.
wooden spoon
2/wˈʊdən spˈun/
idiom
Imaginary prize for last place
A joking name for the "prize" that goes to the person or team who finishes last in a competition.
Examples
- After losing every game, they finished the season with the wooden spoon.
- Nobody wants to end up with the wooden spoon in this tournament.
- The team avoided the wooden spoon by winning their final match.