1
as in coquettish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest
the previously demure maiden began making some surprisingly shocking remarks
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shy
not comfortable around people
hesitant and demure, she hardly spoke a word at the banquet table
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meek
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
wore a very demure outfit to the interview for the job at the church's headquarters
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demure
But Jennifer Lawrence wasn't the only one at Cannes rocking a vampy pedicure with a more demure polish up top.
—
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 May 2025
Recent examples of street style reveal a shift toward denim with extreme silhouettes, DIY details and brash washes—perhaps a sartorial cry for help or a declaration of non-conformity in the wake of more demure trends like quiet luxury and trad wife.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 May 2025
With regularity, Stewart gives the French luxury brand’s demure silhouettes and ultrafeminine fabrics a fresh perspective by actively pushing against them with masculine styling, punk haircuts, and an endless devotion to visible or nonexistent lingerie.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 May 2025
The original island, a demure slab of white, met code but failed on charisma.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demure
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 18 May 2025
Recent examples of street style reveal a shift toward denim with extreme silhouettes, DIY details and brash washes—perhaps a sartorial cry for help or a declaration of non-conformity in the wake of more demure trends like quiet luxury and trad wife.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 6 May 2025
With regularity, Stewart gives the French luxury brand’s demure silhouettes and ultrafeminine fabrics a fresh perspective by actively pushing against them with masculine styling, punk haircuts, and an endless devotion to visible or nonexistent lingerie.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 May 2025
The original island, a demure slab of white, met code but failed on charisma.
—Spencer Elliott, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for demure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demure
Adjective
-
Trump, who has never been shy about getting even with his enemies, even turned to the Justice Department.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
15 June 2025
-
Clark finished with 32 points, three shy of her career high.—
Ben Pickman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
From small and relatively meek beginnings, proboscideans eventually evolved into herbivorous, elephantine giants with a broad array of different tusk arrangements and shapes.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
-
That confidence paid off as Farrow received her first Tony nomination for her role as the initially meek homebody Sharon in the play by Jen Silverman, which ran at the Booth Theatre on Broadway from September through December 2024.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Lear has been much more coy about her identity.—
Abigail Adams,
People.com,
12 June 2025
-
Donaldson was coy when asked about the return during a panel for Deadline’s Contenders Television: Documentary, Unscripted & Variety event.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Hayk, a withdrawn and aloof child, lives on a farm with his aunt Narine and gets mocked and called strange by others.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
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For children, especially, these stressors can quickly lead to meltdowns or withdrawn behavior.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
This journey from her humble beginnings to icon makes sense for a contemporary audience in terms of the pop stars of today, those iconic people in popular culture.—
Sarah Crompton,
Vogue,
16 June 2025
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Both men – Yousafzai, an education activist born in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, and Ranjit, a farmer of humble origins in a remote area of India – break from the traditions of their cultures by advocating forcefully for their daughters.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
15 June 2025
Adjective
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Madelyn Cline went full-on Old Hollywood bombshell, kittenish liner, polished lengths, and all.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
15 Jan. 2023
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With a basis of flawless skin—smoothing and hydration offered via Kylie Skin Face Moisturizer and Eye Cream—Phillips pulled a thick wing of black liner along Jenner's lids, a diminutive wing beneath the lower lashline providing a kittenish complement.—
Calin Van Paris,
Vogue,
13 Sep. 2021
Adjective
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But that hasn't stopped Chisholm, who is not bashful about adding chains and non-uniform colors to his look, from getting criticism.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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One time in particular, Fisher called him out for being a bit bashful about their Star Wars fame, Hamill recounted in a new interview on NPR's Fresh Air — like any good sister would.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
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In all likelihood, the impact now would be less than in the past because our oil trade balance is positive; net exports, at 2 million barrels per day, will translate into modest but significant economic benefits.—
Michael Lynch,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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This is still a modest number—less than two per cent of the total—but the number of children born to men who were forty to forty-nine more than doubled during that same timeframe.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
14 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demure. Accessed 24 Jun. 2025.
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