demure

adjective

di-ˈmyu̇r How to pronounce demure (audio)
Definition of demurenext
1
as in coquettish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest the previously demure maiden began making some surprisingly shocking remarks

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2
as in shy
not comfortable around people hesitant and demure, she hardly spoke a word at the banquet table

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meek
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness wore a very demure outfit to the interview for the job at the church's headquarters

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of demure Cole, 30, offset her Elie Saab Haute Couture piece with a more demure look, opting for a pair of deep brown trousers with a matching suit jacket. — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026 While she’s been spotted with bolder manicures during her Life of a Showgirl era—from chunky French tips to an orange sparkling cinnamon set—this latest look is a bit more demure. — Grace McCarty, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2026 Mattieu Blazy's latest for the Parisian House is simultaneously demure and completely see-through in his couture debut. — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026 This sensibility is wonderfully demure (to use the mot du jour) and understated, letting the true star—the sweeping views of Portofino Bay, glimpsed through the doors to the balconies—really shine. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for demure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demure
  1. coquettish
  2. shy
  3. meek
  4. coy
  5. withdrawn
  6. humble
  7. kittenish
  8. bashful
Adjective
  • For the slightly more modest, there’s lace, crochet, and semisheer fabrics that play a coquettish reveal/conceal game à la the scrim in Unzipped.
    — Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026
  • The hero, or antihero, of the story is Ichabod Crane, a rather ridiculous-looking schoolmaster who has set his cap for Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful, coquettish daughter of a wealthy Dutch farmer.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of coquettish
Adjective
  • Overall, Miami is averaging just shy of seven penalties per game.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Phoebe Bridgers has never been shy about professing her love for mainstream country music.
    — Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of shy
Adjective
  • Others seemed meek, with downcast eyes that refused to meet the camera.
    — Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Moore plays Mona, a meek, thoroughly unseen wife and mother who impulsively decides to audition for a community theater musical despite having no experience.
    — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of meek
Adjective
  • While Yandex, Sberbank and VKontakte are coy about the damage, people and businesses across Russia have reported widespread interruptions to cloud services.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • In hopes of wedding out any future frustrations, Paley is not being coy about that subject.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of coy
Adjective
  • In an era of ball-to-feet No 10s and withdrawn strikers, Welbeck stays high up the pitch, runs the channels and occupies defenders.
    — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The withdrawn earnings are taxed as ordinary income, the Treasury said.
    — Jessica Dickler, CNBC, 11 July 2026
Definition of withdrawn
Adjective
  • Fresh off a massive four-year, $180-million contract extension that solidified Reaves as a legitimate star player, the humble Arkansas native has elevated his game with the same mindset taught to him from his parents and older brother.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In the early days, players were humble, and genuinely grateful just to have a place in the United States to play.
    — Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of humble
Adjective
  • Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation.
    — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2023
Definition of kittenish
Adjective
  • The dominant movie genres of the past decade, superhero films and horror, have usually stayed, like bashful teenagers on the dance floor, on separate sides of the multiplex.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Each loving gesture and bashful smile from his aspiring girlfriend Nikki is punctuated by dread, every minute tense and unnerving as her fixation slowly takes a dark turn.
    — Mariam Bagdady, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of bashful

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Cite this Entry

“Demure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demure. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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