artificial, contrived, hokey, stilted
(adjective) 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”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
stilted (comparative more stilted, superlative most stilted)
Making use of or possessing a stilt or stilts, or things resembling stilts; raised on stilts.
Antonym: unstilted
(figuratively) Elevated or raised in a contrived or unnatural way; stiff and artificially formal or pompous; also, depending on redundant, unnecessary elements.
Antonyms: natural, unstilted
(architecture) Of a building or architectural feature such as an arch or vault: supported by stilts; also (generally) having the main part raised above the usual level by some structure.
Antonym: unstilted
stilted
simple past tense and past participle of stilt
• slitted
Source: Wiktionary
Stilt"ed, a.
Definition: 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.
Stilt, n. Etym: [OE. stilte; akin to Dan. stylte, Sw. stylta, LG. & D. stelt, OHG. stelza, G. stelze, and perh. to E. stout.]
1. A pole, or piece of wood, constructed with a step or loop to raise the foot above the ground in walking. It is sometimes lashed to the leg, and sometimes prolonged upward so as to be steadied by the hand or arm. Ambition is but avarice on stilts, and masked. Landor.
2. A crutch; also, the handle of a plow. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: Any species of limicoline birds belonging to Himantopus and allied genera, in which the legs are remarkably long and slender. Called also longshanks, stiltbird, stilt plover, and lawyer.
Note: The American species (Himantopus Mexicanus) is well known. The European and Asiatic stilt (H. candidus) is usually white, except the wings and interscapulars, which are greenish black. The white-headed stilt (H. leucocephalus) and the banded stilt (Cladorhynchus pectoralis) are found in Australia. Stilt plover (Zoöl.), the stilt.
– Stilt sandpiper (Zoöl.), an American sandpiper (Micropalama himantopus) having long legs. The bill is somewhat expanded at the tip.
Stilt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Stilted; p. pr. & vb. n. Stilting.]
Definition: To raise on stilts, or as if on stilts.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
2 April 2025
(adjective) secret or hidden; not openly practiced or engaged in or shown or avowed; “covert actions by the CIA”; “covert funding for the rebels”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
