demur

1 of 2

verb

de·​mur di-ˈmər How to pronounce demur (audio)
demurred; demurring

intransitive verb

1
: to take exception : object
often used with to or at
it would seem hazardous to demur to a proposition which is so widely acceptedSamuel Alexander
2
law : to file a demurrer
3
archaic : delay, hesitate

demur

2 of 2

noun

1
: the act or an instance of objecting : protest
rather than be brought into court he will pay without demurG. B. Shaw
2
: hesitation (as in doing or accepting) usually based on doubt of the acceptability of something offered or proposed
after some delay and demur, the door grudgingly turned on its hingesCharles Dickens
Choose the Right Synonym for demur

qualm, scruple, compunction, demur mean a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do.

qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment.

no qualms about plagiarizing

scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle.

no scruples against buying stolen goods

compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim.

had compunctions about lying

demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence.

accepted her decision without demur

Examples of demur in a Sentence

Verb She suggested that he would win easily, but he demurred, saying he expected the election to be close. don't hesitate to demur to the idea if you have any qualms Noun we accepted his offer to pay for our dinners without demur
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Joe Gow and Carmen Wilson demurred, not wanting to share their secret plans with a stranger. Journal Sentinel, 13 Feb. 2024 Still, Pippen demurred while speaking with PEOPLE at BravoCon 2022 that October. Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Woods himself demurred in an interview ahead of last month's PNC Championship. Rob Wile, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2024 Williamson demurred, saying that, for now, Dyson is focused on seeing what features benefit pros and consumers best. Victoria Song, The Verge, 8 Feb. 2024 That is likely why China had demurred when Kissinger urged progress on smaller issues such as trade to signal progress on at least a few items. Robert Hormats, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 Asked to offer any theories about what caused the plane’s door plug to blow off, Homendy demurred. Jeremy Childs, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2024 Taylor-Johnson demurred when asked by Esquire earlier this year about the Bond rumors. Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 26 Dec. 2023 Even Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor whose long-shot run for the Republican nomination has centered on questioning the front-runner’s fitness for office, demurred, engaging not on the Colorado justices’ conclusions but their timing. Jonathan Weisman, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2023
Noun
JuJu Watkins scores 29 points to lead USC to comeback win over California Feb. 4, 2024 Watkins demurs at the attention. Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2024 Marin-Espinoza demurs when asked his view on the broader political situation, focusing on immediate needs. Shimon Prokupecz, CNN, 26 Sep. 2023 After breaking his silence about the romance by refusing to speak about his girlfriend in an interview with British Vogue for its October 2018 issue, the actor continued to demur when prodded to speak about their undercover courtship. Nicole Sands, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2023 When pressed on the provenance of this fact most demur. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 4 Feb. 2013 King Charles, a very different character, would doubtless demur, having hated his time there. Time, 20 Sep. 2022 Officials in Beverly Hills would be happy to see the county demur on a mask mandate. Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2022 Though the staff is quick to demur when asked about their celebrity clientele, my stay happens to coincide with that of a former boy band member and his actor wife. Ella Riley-Adams, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2022 To demur when called upon to defend that home from conquest is to willingly turn oneself into an exile. Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 8 Mar. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'demur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English demuren, demeren to linger, from Anglo-French demurer, demoerer, from Latin demorari, from de- + morari to linger, from mora delay — more at mora

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of demur was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near demur

Cite this Entry

“Demur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demur. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

demur

1 of 2 verb
de·​mur di-ˈmər How to pronounce demur (audio)
demurred; demurring

demur

2 of 2 noun
: the act of objecting : protest
accepted without demur

Legal Definition

demur

intransitive verb
de·​mur di-ˈmər How to pronounce demur (audio)
demurred; demurring
: to interpose a demurrer
demur to the declaration
demurrable adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on demur

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