Stilted describes language that is stiff, over-formal, and does not sound like a real person talking. The writer or speaker is trying too hard to be correct or impressive, and the result creaks. Dialogue in a bad novel where nobody uses contractions; a speech translated too literally from another language; an email so polite it sounds like a machine wrote it — all stilted.

Stilted describes language形容的語言 that is stiff, over-formal很僵硬、太過正式， and does not sound like a real person talking聽起來不像真人在說話。The writer or speaker作者或講者 is trying too hard太努力想 to be correct or impressive表現得正確或厲害， and the result creaks結果就顯得生硬。Dialogue in a bad novel爛小說裡的對話 where nobody uses contractions沒有人用縮寫； a speech translated too literally from another language從另一種語言硬翻過來的演講； an email so polite禮貌到 it sounds like a machine wrote it像機器寫的電子郵件 — all stilted這些都是stilted。

The key is the mismatch. Formal language at a funeral or in a contract is just formal, and nobody calls it stilted. It becomes stilted when the formality is too heavy for the situation, so the effort shows. Two old friends meeting for coffee and speaking in careful full sentences would be stilted.

The key is關鍵在於 the mismatch不搭。Formal language at a funeral or in a contract喪禮上或合約裡的正式語言 is just formal就只是正式， and nobody calls it stilted沒有人會說那是stilted。It becomes stilted當...就變成stilted when the formality is too heavy for the situation正式程度對這場合來說太過頭， so the effort shows讓努力的痕跡露出來。Two old friends meeting for coffee兩個老朋友喝咖啡 and speaking in careful full sentences卻用小心翼翼的完整句子講話 would be stilted那就是stilted。

It stretches past words to whole situations. A stilted conversation is one where nothing flows and both people are working hard — after an argument, or on a first meeting with someone's parents. A stilted atmosphere is awkward and unrelaxed. So it covers not only how something is said but how it feels to be in the room.

It stretches past words to whole situations這個字的用法超出了語言，延伸到整個場面。A stilted conversation stilted的對話 is one where nothing flows and both people are working hard是那種完全不流暢、雙方都很費力的對話 — after an argument像吵架之後， or on a first meeting with someone's parents或第一次見對方父母。A stilted atmosphere stilted的氣氛 is awkward and unrelaxed就是尷尬、不自在。So it covers所以它涵蓋的 not only how something is said不只是事情怎麼說 but how it feels to be in the room也包括在場的感覺。

It is always a criticism, though a fairly gentle and educated-sounding one. You meet it most in book reviews, film reviews, and writing classes. A useful comparison: stiff is the everyday word for the same idea; stilted is the word a reviewer uses.

It is always a criticism它一定是批評， though a fairly gentle and educated-sounding one不過是相當溫和、聽起來有學問的那種。You meet it most你最常遇到它 in book reviews, film reviews, and writing classes在書評、影評和寫作課裡。A useful comparison有個實用的比較： stiff stiff is the everyday word for the same idea是日常說法，講的是同一個概念；stilted stilted is the word a reviewer uses則是評論家會用的字。

And there is a rarer literal use — a house built on stilts can be described as stilted — but almost nobody means that.

And there is另外還有 a rarer literal use比較少見的字面用法 — a house built on stilts蓋在高腳柱上的房子 can be described as stilted可以說是stilted — but almost nobody means that但幾乎沒有人是這個意思。