durian

noun

du·​ri·​an ˈdu̇r-ē-ən 

-ē-ˌän,

 also  ˈdyu̇r-

1

: a large oval tasty but foul-smelling fruit with a prickly rind

2

: a southeast Asian tree (Durio zibethinus) of the mallow family that bears durians

Examples of durian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

His wife greets customers from behind the register, alongside a large spread of exotic fruits of various shapes and sizes, including durian, lychee and mangosteen, along with tropical plants. —Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 12 Sep. 2025

Fruit Tropical and Asian fruits like durian, lychee, green mangoes and jackfruit can be found in Milwaukee's Burmese shops. —Sophie Carson, jsonline.com, 4 Sep. 2025

Vietnam started shipping the fruit to China in 2022, and the Philippines sent its first batch of fresh durian in 2023. —Amy Gunia, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025

Everybody’s looking around and trying to locate the durian while also keeping another eye and ear open for any other falling durian. —Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Malay

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for durian

• arthurian
• centurion
• silurian