dour

adjective

ˈdau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce dour (audio) ˈdu̇r How to pronounce dour (audio)
Synonyms of dour
1
: stern, harsh
a dour expression on her face
2
: obstinate, unyielding
… an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve it.—Walter Moberly
3
: gloomy, sullen
a dour disposition
dourly adverb
dourness noun

Synonyms of dour

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Examples of dour in a Sentence

She had a dour expression on her face. the dour mood of the crowd
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For now, the AI anxiety appears confined to credit investors, by nature a more dour and pessimistic bunch than stockholders. — Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026 Locals saw the pitchfork as outdated—four tines would have been more appropriate—and the woman unforgivably dour. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The colors are dour and muted, and the yearnings of the two elder Dashwood sisters—the self-abnegating Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and the passionate Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles, a gimlet-eyed standout)—often play out in drearily candlelit rooms. — Hannah Jocelyn, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026 The influence of Black American music was absent from not just their Warwickshire peers at the time, but all of the dour indie milieu toiling under Thatcher’s grey skies. — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dour

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin durus hard — more at during

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dour was in the 15th century

Rhymes for dour

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Browse Nearby Words

douppioni
dour
doura
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Cite this Entry

“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dour

adjective
ˈdu̇(ə)r How to pronounce dour (audio) ˈdau̇(ə)r How to pronounce dour (audio)
: looking or being stern or sullen
dourly adverb
dourness noun
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