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
The beloved community festival had drawn to a dour conclusion, after reports of fights and other mayhem.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Smart, ambitious and dogged, she is not burdened by a dark past or traumatic pain or the generally dour outlook that plague so many of her peers.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Trauma has left him dour and self-contained, as inaccessible to others as his childhood is to him.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
That dour affair left a sour taste in the soccer world.
—Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
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Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026
Smart, ambitious and dogged, she is not burdened by a dark past or traumatic pain or the generally dour outlook that plague so many of her peers.
—Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 8 June 2026
Trauma has left him dour and self-contained, as inaccessible to others as his childhood is to him.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
That dour affair left a sour taste in the soccer world.
—Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 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 14 Jun. 2026.
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