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
That dour affair left a sour taste in the soccer world.
—
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
-
But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
-
Platner, a gruff 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins with a platform of economic populism, universal health care, labor protections, and anti-interventionism.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Located at an altitude of about 27,000 feet, Tshiring said the remains have become a grim waypoint for climbers ascending from the Tibetan side of the iconic mountain.—
Simon Ellery,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
-
The heroic death plays out almost as a footnote in an otherwise grim day at sea.—
Josh Wigler,
HollywoodReporter,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Judges have to throw the book at those arrested to teach them a stern lesson.—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
17 June 2026
-
However, for students graduating right now, Hammer can't really summon up anything stern to say.—
Tabitha Parent,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Valkyries seemed equally eager to welcome the rookie to the league’s most intimidating road environment, and succeeded in stifling the 23-year-old guard.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The climb up the dune is so severe that players cannot see the minuscule green from the tee box, which is surrounded by an intimidating set of bunkers that catch wayward shots.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
Despite a few glimmers of good feeling, today's fierce political divisions have redefined a milestone that has often been marked by unity and optimism, at least for a moment.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
-
An uncontained blaze in Utah’s Juab County has scorched 34 square miles, forcing the evacuation of Eureka and nearby ranches as firefighters race to shield homes amid fierce winds.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
Adjective
-
Travelers experience Marlborough wine country, Kaikoura wildlife, the Southern Alps, the rugged West Coast, and Queenstown.—
Steve Madgwick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
-
For anyone venturing off-the-grid or out deep in nature, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a top contender as a rugged, adventure-suitable wearable.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
My father is a can-do, glass-half-full guy, a quality that has always felt like a rebuke of my own bleak world view, which makes the poor man literally wince.—
Sarah Miller,
New Yorker,
20 June 2026
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The numbers were even bleaker in other categories.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
Adjective
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The complaint alleges that school officials at Southern Hills Middle School failed to stop two years of antisemitic harassment against an eighth grader even after investigations concluded the student faced a hostile environment.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
-
Create an internal incident map and begin tagging hostile actions according to the DISARM taxonomy.—
Alona Karpinska,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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