1
: stern, harsh
a dour expression on her face
2
: obstinate, unyielding
an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve itWalter Moberly
3
: gloomy, sullen
a dour disposition
dourly adverb
dourness noun

Examples of dour in a Sentence

She had a dour expression on her face. the dour mood of the crowd
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Then Vincent disappears, and Jérémie finds himself at the center of a police investigation and being eyed suspiciously by the locals, including a dour, snooping priest (Jacques Develay); a stolid, schlubby ex-farmer named Walter (David Ayala); and Vincent’s wife, Annie (Tatiana Spivakova). Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Mar. 2025 Did Clay dream this white woman up, or is this dour manic pixie dream girl only a literary device, the movie itself dreaming, whose attention-getting silhouette is also meant to call attention to her own artifice as a writer’s creation? Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Mar. 2025 The retailer issued a dour fourth-quarter report marked by a 74 percent drop in net income, which fell to $48 million from $186 million in the year-ago period. David Moin, WWD, 11 Mar. 2025 During the anthem, the image of Trump appeared on giant screens at both ends of the stadium, with his daughter and his grandson and his dour salute. Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dour

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin durus hard — more at during

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dour was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

dour

adjective
: looking or being stern or sullen
dourly adverb
dourness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on dour

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