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
Weirdly, Valérie Donzelli’s film is dour even by those standards; there are more laughs in Ken Loach’s last three films on much the same subject.
—
Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
American difference National optimism never got as dour as California under Trump, so its recent rebound is muted.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2025
After Reverend Forte's fortune is discovered, and Ada grabs hold of the house's purse strings, Agnes becomes characteristically dour about her diminished rank.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
After some dour readings as Trump's tariff rhetoric ramped up earlier this year, the sentiment releases have stabilized.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Damon Wise, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
American difference National optimism never got as dour as California under Trump, so its recent rebound is muted.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 26 Aug. 2025
After Reverend Forte's fortune is discovered, and Ada grabs hold of the house's purse strings, Agnes becomes characteristically dour about her diminished rank.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 11 Aug. 2025
After some dour readings as Trump's tariff rhetoric ramped up earlier this year, the sentiment releases have stabilized.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
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Panday plays a convincingly gruff tortured artist alongside Padda’s struggling ingenue, and most of the screen time is devoted to their pairing instead of introducing tertiary excess.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
13 Sep. 2025
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The barbs were frequently aimed at the gruff owner of Mel’s Diner played by the late Vic Tayback.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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But in recent years, acts of brazen violence have been the grim drumbeat of a debased national politics.—
Eric Cortellessa,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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Despite that progress, pancreatic cancer holds the grim record for having a survival rate of only 13% across five years – the lowest of all.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In fact, Baltimore has received a stern warning on closing out big games from former All-Pro cornerback Patrick Peterson.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025
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Shatter and Falconi had formed Flipper in the late 1970s Bay Area at the dawn of hardcore, the tougher and sterner punk variant that had a stronghold in California.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In the face of fierce opposition, Lyles supported bringing the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020 — standing on her commitment to represent the entire city as mayor.—
Briah Lumpkins,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Sep. 2025
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In Paradise Bay, competition is fierce to attract high-end clientele and the standout offering at Maxx Royal is its two-story, 5,750-square-meter spa.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Fighting off predators, fending for food, and living in rugged terrain with harsh conditions – this was not a means of living for the weak.—
Aly Walansky,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Limited access and steep rugged terrain will continue to hamper suppression.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Yes, there are good reasons to question NASA's long-term plans for the Artemis lunar program—the woeful cost of the Space Launch System rocket, the complexity of new commercial landers, and a bleak budget outlook.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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That's rather bleak, while Charlie Sheen's life has just been bonkers.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Is this event also a way to make World and the Orb feel more approachable and less intimidating to the public, especially those skeptical of getting their eyes scanned?—
Tanya Benedicto Klich,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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For starters, the Nittany Lions play their home games at Beaver Stadium, which can be an intimidating place with seating for 106,572 fans.—
Walter Villa,
Miami Herald,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Thanks to climate change, Cosmism’s ambivalent and generally hostile attitude towards the natural world should also sound familiar.—
Tim Brinkhof,
Big Think,
12 Sep. 2025
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Another camera designed to withstand the hostile environment of space was used outside.—
Catherine Muccigrosso,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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