Stilts are long poles or supports that lift something up high off the ground. When people walk on stilts, they strap a pole to each leg with a footrest partway up, making them tower several feet taller than normal. It takes practice and balance to walk on stilts without toppling over, but once you get the hang of it, you can stride along, looking down at the world from an unusual height.

Buildings can also be built on stilts. Houses near rivers or coasts are often constructed on thick wooden or concrete stilts to keep them above floodwaters. In some coastal and river areas, many homes sit on stilts so that when water levels rise, the houses stay dry. Some birds, like herons and flamingos, are called stilt birds because their extremely long, thin legs make them look like they're walking on stilts as they wade through shallow water hunting for fish.

The word can also be used in phrases like on stilts, meaning something is raised up on posts, or in the related word stilted, which describes speech or writing that feels stiff, unnatural, or awkward, as if it has been propped up instead of flowing naturally.