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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Recent Examples of dour
The Michigan sentiment reading has been quite dour for the past few months, causing some investors to worry about the implications for the U.S. economy.
—
Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 11 May 2025
Contributions to Peter’s Pence—a fundraising arm implemented a thousand years earlier by the Saxons in England, by which ordinary Catholics make contributions to support the Pope—soared after Francis succeeded the more dour Pope Benedict XVI.
—Gerald Posner, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Some investors remained dour about the outlook, expecting slow progress on trade deals.
—Danielle Kaye, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
And Pereira is the latest Wolves figure to look past the place’s rather dour exterior to sample its increasingly popular food.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Kevin Stankiewicz,matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 11 May 2025
Contributions to Peter’s Pence—a fundraising arm implemented a thousand years earlier by the Saxons in England, by which ordinary Catholics make contributions to support the Pope—soared after Francis succeeded the more dour Pope Benedict XVI.
—Gerald Posner, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
Some investors remained dour about the outlook, expecting slow progress on trade deals.
—Danielle Kaye, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
And Pereira is the latest Wolves figure to look past the place’s rather dour exterior to sample its increasingly popular food.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
-
Eric Bauman, a gruff and tireless political operative who led two of California’s most powerful Democratic organizations before resigning amid misconduct allegations, died Monday.—
Laura J. Nelson,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
-
Cross-examination from the defense’s gruff Xavier Donaldson will continue first thing Tuesday when the trial picks up again.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
12 May 2025
Adjective
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Despite the grim topic, the report offers encouraging news: Steady progress has been made in reducing child labor globally.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
26 June 2025
-
Gatwa’s first as the Doctor. Compare Season 15 to Jodie Whittaker’s last outing as the Time Lord, and things get grimmer.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Born in Philadelphia in October 1888, Breen shuttled between jobs in public relations, newspaper journalism, and the U.S. consular service, yet the connecting thread was always his deep, proud, stern Irish Catholicism.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
-
However, strikes between the two nations appeared to continue—leading to a stern rebuke from the president on Tuesday morning.—
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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The Supreme Court cases that set off the fiercest conflicts among the justices aren’t always the hot-button ones.—
Dan McLaughlin,
National Review,
25 June 2025
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The land is torn apart by fierce rivals, shifting loyalties and bloody betrayals.—
Selome Hailu,
Variety,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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A lot of my book is about unlearning the tenets of American work culture, that rugged individualism often translates to just being plain old lonely.—
Maris Kreizman
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
-
Trent Frederic is another player who brings a rugged style to the game and can play all three forward positions.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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During that bleak era, Che-Chung Tsai, a researcher at the University of Washington, contacted several companies, seeking experimental drugs for use in an animal study.—
Jon Cohen,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
-
That said, Google’s latest survey paints a bleak picture.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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Its profoundly intimidating core cast come together as the white-hot heart of an espionage love story.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
12 June 2025
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Unlike other squirrel-proof bird feeders, this one is ideal for small birds and won’t attract bigger, more intimidating birds like ravens, eagles, grackles, or black birds.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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Meanwhile, Syria has turned from a fertile ground to a hostile one for Iran and its assets, after the Assad regime was toppled in December.—
Lina Khatib,
Time,
19 June 2025
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By contrast, the U.S. had appeared openly skeptical and was often even seen as hostile.—
Ozan Ozerk,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.
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