verb
past tense of 'stilt', meaning to raise or support on or as if on stilts
adjective
having a formal, unnatural, or stiff manner of expression
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The speech delivered by the politician sounded stilted and rehearsed.
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The conversation at the party felt a bit stilted, like no one really knew each other.
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The dialogue in that movie was so stilted, it was cringeworthy.
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Her emotions seemed stilted, as if she was holding back from truly expressing herself.