Definition of demure
demurely
adverbdemureness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
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Examples of demure in a Sentence
So even if you think you've moved past your reputation as The Rebel, two minutes after getting together with your more demure sister, you're likely to fall back into that hell-raiser role. —Jessica Mehalic, Cosmopolitan, August 2001
It looked as though the dress and capelet were one piece. It created a demure look, but if you take off the capelet, it's a seductive strapless dress. —Elizabeth Hayt, Vogue, December 1999
I made a lot of friends at Les Tourelles with whom I have kept in touch over the years. There was one darling little girl, much younger than the rest of us, who was sweet, demure, and quiet, with beautiful long hair like Alice in Wonderland. —Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985
She was wearing a demure gray suit.
the demure charm of the cottage
Recent Examples of demure from the Web
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Compared with violent incidents that were a function of Islamic terrorism, the demure @POTUS tweet was remarkably late.
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As the 70th edition of the annual Cannes Film Festival comes to a close, Billboard Style takes a closer look at Rihanna’s decidedly demure choices for her turn at the festivities.
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The leering Baron examines Faninal’s demure and lovely daughter, Sophie, like a piece of horseflesh, while his crude country servants drain the liquor cabinet and have their way with Faninal’s female staff.
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But Mr. Trump is reluctant to trade in pitchfork populism for something more demure.
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The denizens of the pornier corners of the web certainly have a lot more explicit material to work with than relatively demure selfies.
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For a Flawless Negroni More of a hot spot in the summer, Harry’s Bar, a classic haunt along the Arno, originally opened in 1953 and maintains much of its mid-century charm, from the Murano glass lamps to the demure martini glasses.
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Rousteing’s approach marks a major departure from Balmain’s more demure style.
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Upstairs, more demure clients nibble on cheesecake and tap away in the Cybercafe, playing a few rounds of Quake or fiddling with the HTML on their Web pages.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'demure'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
Demure has essentially remained unchanged in meaning since at least the 14th century. Its first recorded use in our language dates from the Middle English period (roughly the 12th to 15th centuries), a time when the native tongue of England was borrowing many new words from the French spoken by the Normans who gained control of the country after the Battle of Hastings. Demure might have been part of the French cultural exchange; etymologists think it may have derived from the Anglo-French verb demorer or demourer, meaning "to linger." During Shakespeare's time, demure was briefly used in English as a verb meaning "to look demurely," but only the older adjective form has survived to the present day.
Origin and Etymology of demure
Middle English
First Known Use: 14th century
DEMURE Defined for English Language Learners
demure
playDefinition of demure for English Language Learners
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: quiet and polite
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: not attracting or demanding a lot of attention : not showy or flashy
DEMURE Defined for Kids
Learn More about demure
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See words that rhyme with demure Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for demure Spanish Central: Translation of demure Nglish: Translation of demure for Spanish speakers
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