dour
adjective
2
: obstinate, unyielding
an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve it—
Walter Moberly
Walter Moberly
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
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
The big hair and thick accents would take you out of the dour world of the movie if decades of Snookies and Sopranos, Gorgas and Guidicis didn’t retroactively ground these characters in some form of reality.
—Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
During the workshop of Smash (Broadway version), the show ended on an extremely dour note, which audiences hated.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
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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
The big hair and thick accents would take you out of the dour world of the movie if decades of Snookies and Sopranos, Gorgas and Guidicis didn’t retroactively ground these characters in some form of reality.
—Eddie Mouradian, Vulture, 24 Feb. 2025
During the workshop of Smash (Broadway version), the show ended on an extremely dour note, which audiences hated.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 14 Mar. 2025.
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