1
: stern, harsh
a dour expression on her face
2
: obstinate, unyielding
an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve itWalter Moberly
3
: gloomy, sullen
a dour disposition
dourly adverb
dourness noun

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 The Chameleon is cool to look at (a diminutive lizard in finery worthy of the Met Gala), and Viola Davis voices her with a dour aristocratic hauteur, but all the character does, really, is to call forth her guards and summon up past villains that Po has defeated. Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Mar. 2024 Instead of the dour, moralistic tales that were considered appropriate nursery fare at the time, Dodgson served up absurdist takes on Victorian England’s polite tea parties, its eccentric dons, its gossipy news stories, its popular poems, songs, dances, and parlor games. Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 28 Feb. 2024 Jared Leto’s dour performance as Morbius did nothing but spark memes, and Dakota Johnson’s bafflement seems to radiate onscreen in Madame Web. Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 With voters continuing to feel dour about the economy, Biden campaign seems more focused on drawing a contrast between the two candidates than a referendum on his record. USA TODAY, 5 Jan. 2024 Just when things looked dour late, Nick Saban had no choice. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2024 Smiles crack easy for him, softening a face that was once famous as the leathery, tight-as-a-fist mug of the depressed and dour Max Payne. Gene Park, Washington Post, 16 Dec. 2023 Voters are especially dour about the economy and the high price of everything compared with before the pandemic. Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2023 This time, consumers kept spending despite their dour outlook, which kept the economy humming. Laurent Belsie, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dour.' 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

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

Dictionary Entries Near dour

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

dour

adjective
: looking or being stern or sullen
dourly adverb
dourness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dour

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