dour

adjective

ˈdau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce dour (audio)
Definition of dournext
as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance a dour prison guard who didn't look like he'd be very understanding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 dour Smart, ambitious and dogged, she is not burdened by a dark past or traumatic pain or the generally dour outlook that plague so many of her peers. — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026 The beloved community festival had drawn to a dour conclusion, after reports of fights and other mayhem. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026 The trailers presented 'Disclosure Day' as quite a dour, self-serious affair, but thankfully, that's not the case. — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 12 June 2026 Even so, Americans have continued to spend despite their dour outlook, which has kept the economy growing even as inflation accelerated. — Alex Sundby, CBS News, 30 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
  1. gruff
  2. grim
  3. stern
  4. intimidating
  5. fierce
  6. rugged
  7. bleak
  8. hostile
Adjective
  • Abraham Lincoln furiously scribbled in Springfield on June 27, 1858, firing off a gruff note to the editor-in-chief of the Chicago Press & Tribune, then in business for only 11 years.
    — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2026
  • But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 14 June 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • If Boltanski’s work recalls Saarland’s grim past, Regenera, by another French artist, Benjamin Duquenne, points toward a hopeful future.
    — Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026
  • White detailed a bizarre, almost miraculous weather event that saved the outdoor fight night just as things looked grim.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of grim
Adjective
  • England, which has been patchy so far, poses the sternest test yet for the co-hosts.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 3 July 2026
  • With upcoming opponents Croatia providing a sterner test in possession, Portugal’s defensive display will be under greater scrutiny.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 July 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • The caps, made from real bear skin, are a distinctive part of the military uniform, designed to make troops appear taller and more intimidating.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 24 June 2026
  • The one witness everyone in the courtroom remembers was Watkins, an intimidating presence with the build of an NFL defensive tackle.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 22 June 2026
Definition of intimidating
Adjective
  • Its young people are increasingly educated and ambitious but many are frustrated over fierce competition for limited jobs.
    — Ayushi Shah, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • The Pride and Angel City have established a fierce rivalry in their short history.
    — Orlando Sentinel Staff, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 July 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • California is returning a stretch of rugged Mendocino County coast to the Indigenous nations whose ancestors once stewarded its shores.
    — Alex Wigglesworth Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 5 July 2026
  • California is returning a stretch of rugged Mendocino County coast to the Indigenous nations whose ancestors once stewarded its shores.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
Definition of rugged
Adjective
  • Houssem Aouar finally spied a gap in the Austrian defence and sent Mahrez through to score, sparking jubilation before Sasa Kalajdzic’s header confirmed a ridiculous ending to a game that was dramatic, bleak and then dramatic again.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 4 July 2026
  • Kehoe pointed to the state’s bleak finances in a statement explaining his cuts on Tuesday.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • And until a Black commentator is held responsible for making openly hostile remarks about White people, nothing will change.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026
  • For example, in March, the crypto exchange Kraken put its multibillion‑dollar IPO on hold amid hostile market conditions, according to CoinDesk.
    — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 2 July 2026
Definition of hostile

Browse Nearby Words

do up
dour
dourly
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Cite this Entry

“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on dour

Nglish: Translation of dour for Spanish Speakers

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