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
Only this time, for the Edmonton Oilers, the feeling is even more dour.
—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 18 June 2025
The rain began to pelt down again just after 6 p.m. ET as the conditions again turned dour.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 15 June 2025
However, even dour seasons aren’t a huge concern for Scripps, which makes its money during the regular season and not the playoffs.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
There wasn’t all that much to John in his first movie, either, but Reeves found something wry in his character’s reluctant un-retirement from life in the suburbs and return to being a notorious badass, while de Armas just defaults toward the dour.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 18 June 2025
The rain began to pelt down again just after 6 p.m. ET as the conditions again turned dour.
—Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 15 June 2025
However, even dour seasons aren’t a huge concern for Scripps, which makes its money during the regular season and not the playoffs.
—Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
There wasn’t all that much to John in his first movie, either, but Reeves found something wry in his character’s reluctant un-retirement from life in the suburbs and return to being a notorious badass, while de Armas just defaults toward the dour.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
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With a deep, gruff voice and animus toward humanity, McCarthy was an unusual dance-music star when Nitzer Ebb started notching chart hits.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
12 June 2025
-
Two months ago, the world lost a gruff and burly guitar player named Al Barile.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
11 June 2025
Adjective
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Robert Shapiro, the first member and initial chair of OJ Simpson's defense team, gave a grim prediction regarding Diddy's potential sentence.—
Lauryn Overhultz , Larry Fink,
FOXNews.com,
8 July 2025
-
The Rockies are headed down that grim path — full speed ahead to baseball’s worst-ever record.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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As the bow and stern sections tore free from one another, the ship’s contents were ejected and rained down across the ocean floor, dispersing everything from luggage and dinnerware to engine parts and personal belongings.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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Len, that character of a stern Englishman with a twinkle in his eye, felt like the core of what the show was.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Winds, too, were fierce, gusting up to 70 mph at the lakefront, according to the National Weather Service.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
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To put that drop into context, Gates was the fifth richest person alive on July 3, highlighting the fierce (and sometimes erratic) battle to make it to the top 10.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
In Kansas City, the brand-new Museum of BBQ showcases how this quintessential American cuisine is made. Road Cruise Take a road cruise along a captivating northeast loop that’s filled with urban attractions, rugged coasts and gorgeous mountains.—
Roger Sands,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Pictured above is Indonesia’s mountainous Halmahera rainforest, featuring rugged topography shaped by outpourings from the numerous volcanoes that pockmark the region.—
Emma R. Hasson,
Scientific American,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Some traders said the numbers were less severe than analysts' bleak forecasts.—
Sabrina Valle,
USA Today,
3 July 2025
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No one is as funny and as bleak in the same sentence, or maybe even the same word.—
Literary Hub
July 1,
Literary Hub,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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The foundations themselves are also focused on education to make clinical trials less intimidating.—
Alexis Kayser,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 June 2025
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Catcher Caden Bodine, a top-round prospect, leads Coastal Carolina’s balanced and intimidating lineup.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Guzman’s book was used as a common reader by several universities in 2024, reflecting ongoing concerns about the often hostile, partisan gaps that have roiled many campuses in recent years.—
Michael T. Nietzel,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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In the five years since the events of Jurassic World Dominion, many of the dinosaurs and other formerly extinct creatures that were set free into the world have died off, unable to survive in the modern climate and otherwise hostile environments.—
Maureen Lee Lenker Published,
EW.com,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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