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.
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 In Reckoning, the surprisingly dour second half of 2023's Dead Reckoning, Cruise — as Ethan Hunt, the super spy he’s played for nearly 30 years — has become nothing less than Atlas, eternally braced to prevent the world from sliding down and off his back. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 14 May 2025 Wall Street is in a similarly dour mood, according to the March editions of the Bank of America’s Global Fund Manager Survey and the CNBC Fed Survey. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 19 Mar. 2025 Generally, however, audiences appear to be in a dour mood and slow to rush out to cinemas, reviews notwithstanding, without a big studio tentpole to ground moviegoing. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 16 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 6 Jun. 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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