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stilted (adj.)

1610s, "having stilts," from stilt (n.). That of "elevated or supported by stilts" is from 1820. Figurative sense of "pompous, stuffy, formal and stiff" is first recorded 1820.

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Definitions of stilted from WordNet

stilted (adj.)
artificially formal;
when people try to correct their speech they develop a stilted pronunciation
a stilted letter of acknowledgment
Synonyms: artificial / contrived / hokey
From wordnet.princeton.edu