as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a dour prison guard who didn't look like he'd be very understanding
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dour
Almost everyone would eventually realize that the dour, no-fun critics of the war on terror were correct.
—
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2025
And then, if the most popular songs in the country aren’t somewhat dour or mellow to a fault, they’re holdovers from 2024 (or older).
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
Kyle, who passed away in 2016, was a proper ‘dour Scotsman’.
—Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
If anything, this dour assessment proved overly optimistic: After six months and a multitude of rejections from US banks, Khan gave up.
—Joel Khalili, Wired News, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 3 Aug. 2025
And then, if the most popular songs in the country aren’t somewhat dour or mellow to a fault, they’re holdovers from 2024 (or older).
—Scottie Andrew, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025
Kyle, who passed away in 2016, was a proper ‘dour Scotsman’.
—Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
If anything, this dour assessment proved overly optimistic: After six months and a multitude of rejections from US banks, Khan gave up.
—Joel Khalili, Wired News, 23 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
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Faced with this existential crisis, Bull gathers his best pals—Rocco, a gruff boxer (Idris Elba); Lucky, a dopey but loyal beagle (Bobby Moynihan); and Fetch, a wannabe influencer dachshund (Fred Armisen)—for one final night of canine mischief.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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The strength and conditioning coach barked out stretches in a gruff voice, starting off the first practice of fall football camp on a note of discipline.—
Haley Sawyer,
Oc Register,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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With all due respect to the pressures of making an unconventional sci-fi film on a tight budget, using ecologically destructive technology for a story of ecological devastation, in which clean water is an increasingly rare resource, adds an unintentionally grim layer of irony to the tale.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
11 Aug. 2025
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But while the afterparty was a little bit grim, MGK will always support Kelce — a fellow Ohioan — and the rest of the Chiefs.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Amid the Yankees' slump, Boone's leadership, managing style and willingness to be stern with players have all been questioned.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
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Directed by Garry Marshall, this comedy drama has a riveting, deeply ambiguous scene that can be considered a kind of acting triumph for Lohan, who plays a troubled young woman, Rachel, spending the summer with her stern grandmother (Jane Fonda).—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
9 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Nonetheless, the show’s premiere provides the perfect moment to map out the slimy, menacing world of Ellen Ripley and company in their epic battle against one of the galaxy’s fiercest creatures.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
12 Aug. 2025
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Yet even before this system was fully in place, opposition to it emerged, beginning in the early 1990s with the fierce debate over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).—
Michael B. G. Froman,
Foreign Affairs,
11 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Shot on location across Cape Town and the Western Cape, the production embraces a rugged, sun-drenched aesthetic.—
Callum McLennan,
Variety,
7 Aug. 2025
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After challenging hikes through Zion's rugged terrain, there is nothing more healing than relaxing in waters that remind us of Iceland's Blue Lagoon, the Dead Sea, or Japan's Hokkaido Island.—
Shelby Knick,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Directed by Paul Schrader with a script by Bret Easton Ellis, this spiritually bleak L.A. drama features Lohan’s most daring performance, and probably the only one that manages to break completely with her childhood and adolescent roles.—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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The situation is bleak enough that, even if aid increases rapidly in the coming weeks, deaths from starvation are almost certain to rise.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Byrne has never been better, sharper, or more intimidating as a screen presence, carrying the movie with squints and frowns.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
6 Aug. 2025
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Even at just 5-4, Mirabal can be an intimidating presence.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In recent weeks, both have also moved military forces to the border near Assab and are engaging in escalating exchanges of hostile rhetoric.—
Mulugeta Gebrehiwot Berhe,
Foreign Affairs,
5 Aug. 2025
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Meanwhile, Trump has moved closer to Pakistan, with which India has hostile relations and the U.S. has historically had a complex and sometimes tense relationship, especially as Pakistan has grown closer to and is primarily armed by China.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
4 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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