dour
adjective
2
: obstinate, unyielding
an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve it—
Walter Moberly
Walter Moberly
dourly
adverb
dourness
noun
Synonyms
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
Their musical numbers, both duets and solos, have a vitality that the more often dour film desperately needs.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2024
Crime shows have a tendency to be relentlessly dour: missing children, rape victims.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
Where Nasrallah is impish and often fiery, Qassem is studious and dour—an unlikely warrior.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
Burying Oscar Isaac in prosthetics and makeup to play dour baddie Apocalypse, giving the talented actor less than nothing to work with.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for dour 
David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Sep. 2024
Crime shows have a tendency to be relentlessly dour: missing children, rape victims.
—Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Aug. 2024
Where Nasrallah is impish and often fiery, Qassem is studious and dour—an unlikely warrior.
—Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 22 July 2024
Burying Oscar Isaac in prosthetics and makeup to play dour baddie Apocalypse, giving the talented actor less than nothing to work with.
—Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 31 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for dour
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.
Dictionary Entries Near dour
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 12 Sep. 2024.
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