as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a dour prison guard who didn't look like he'd be very understanding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of dour
Target lost more than a fifth of its value after the retailer gave a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season.
—
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
In fact, dour sentiment and share underperformance create an attractive setup for the company as Azure growth and demand stabilize, said Morgan Stanley’s Keith Weiss.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024
At first, the Rams looked capable of avoiding such a dour note entering the bye.
—Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 6 Oct. 2024
Sauer’s optimism seems almost to be intended as a rebuke to the dour ideal of intellectual seriousness that runs from such canonical thinkers as Arthur Schopenhauer in the nineteenth century to Theodor Adorno in the twentieth.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dour
Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov. 2024
In fact, dour sentiment and share underperformance create an attractive setup for the company as Azure growth and demand stabilize, said Morgan Stanley’s Keith Weiss.
—Samantha Subin, CNBC, 30 Oct. 2024
At first, the Rams looked capable of avoiding such a dour note entering the bye.
—Adam Grosbard, Orange County Register, 6 Oct. 2024
Sauer’s optimism seems almost to be intended as a rebuke to the dour ideal of intellectual seriousness that runs from such canonical thinkers as Arthur Schopenhauer in the nineteenth century to Theodor Adorno in the twentieth.
—Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
-
Ashanti’s lithe voice perfectly complimented Ja’s gruff vocal tone, providing Murder Inc.—
Andre Gee,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2025
-
The gruff men are Danny and Kyle McCray, an estranged father and son who’ve been reunited by a medical emergency.—
Elisabeth Egan,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In recent months, Israel has brightened a grim geopolitical landscape by battering Iran and its proxies.—
HAL BRANDS,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Feb. 2025
-
Previous assessments already painted a grim picture, with a third of sharks, rays, and chimaeras classified as threatened with extinction.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Once again, her stern words earned tepid applause from a crowd that honestly just wanted to go two hours without thinking about humanity's downward trajectory into civil, moral, and environmental oblivion.—
Kristen Baldwin,
EW.com,
24 Feb. 2025
-
But Sunday’s election could mark its sternest test yet.—
Mark Sappenfield,
The Christian Science Monitor,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
After the goalless draw in one of soccer’s fiercest rivalries, the Portuguese manager was yet again outspoken in his press conference.—
Ben Church,
CNN,
25 Feb. 2025
-
The game between the fierce rivals was halted after 52 minutes due to fans throwing flares onto the pitch.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
But Coulibaly discovered that Smart had earned his reputation as one of the most rugged point-of-attack defenders in recent league history.—
Josh Robbins,
The Athletic,
20 Feb. 2025
-
Initially worn by construction workers, Timberlands, as they became known, soon transcended their rugged origins and were embraced, beginning in the late ’70s, by everyone from the Milanese jet set to British ravers.—
Kin Woo,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The picture looks bleak in the U.S. and in France the company is entering receivership.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2025
-
The tiny graves at one end of the orphanage compound are a bleak reminder of what a future without USAID might look like for the children.—
Nicholas Komu,
Los Angeles Times,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
For many, the All Blacks are well-known for performing an intimidating pregame haka dance, a Maori ritual used to fire up the players and fans before a match.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Feb. 2025
-
Small breed dogs, such as Cavalier King Charles spaniel and Maltese, are probably the most eligible to cohabitate with cats because of their gentle and affectionate nature and their small size, which is less intimidating to cats.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In a notable thawing of tensions between Russia and the U.S., Trump even promised to visit Moscow, and said Putin would be welcome in Washington, D.C. The president has also become increasingly hostile toward Ukraine.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
-
China’s relentless nuclear buildup, its hostile espionage operations, its militant rhetoric, and, above all, its support for Russia suggest that Xi has already made his call and that a confrontation with the United States is inevitable.—
Sergey Radchenko,
Foreign Affairs,
18 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share