woodenly
/ˈwʊdnli/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈwʊdnli/ (ame, ipa)
woodenly — adverb
1. in a stiff, unnatural way that shows a lack of emotion or ease of movement
in a stiff, unnatural way that shows a lack of emotion or ease of movement
Imani bowed woodenly and walked back to her seat without meeting anyone's eyes.
verb of movement + woodenly
Asher delivered his lines woodenly, as if he had memorised them without understanding the meaning.
Rin stood woodenly at the front of the room while the teacher read out the exam results.
When asked about her childhood, Lakshmi smiled woodenly and changed the subject.
The dancers moved woodenly during the first rehearsal, still unsure of the steps.
- stiffly
more common and focuses on physical rigidity rather than emotional blankness
- awkwardly
emphasises clumsiness or lack of grace rather than a complete lack of emotion
- expressionlessly
narrower in scope — refers only to facial or vocal emotion, not movement
- gracefully
describes movement that is smooth and elegant, the opposite of stiff
- naturally
describes behaviour that is relaxed and unforced
- expressively
describes showing emotion clearly, the opposite of blank-faced
用法筆記
Frequently modifies verbs of movement (walked, stood, bowed), speech (said, recited, delivered), or facial expression (smiled, stared). Used more in written narrative than in everyday conversation.