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
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
That dour affair left a sour taste in the soccer world.
—Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
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.
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
