dour

adjective

ˈdau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce dour (audio)
Definition of dournext
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

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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 The dour Dostoyevsky probably didn’t mean this as a compliment to human nature; the line appears in a book, The House of the Dead, about life in a Siberian prison camp. — Literary Hub, 15 July 2026 Nonetheless, the disconnect between these bullish numbers and consumers’ dour mood is real. — Michael Foster, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026 Grumpy and dour George I, who predominately spoke German and little English despite being an English king, despised his heir, George Augustus. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 9 July 2026 Apocalyptic, yeah, but never dour — more like a call to arms. — Debby Wolfinsohn, Entertainment Weekly, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
  1. gruff
  2. grim
  3. stern
  4. intimidating
  5. fierce
  6. rugged
  7. bleak
  8. hostile
Adjective
  • Bob Hoskins’s gruff detective, Eddie Valiant, sees them as a sometimes-dangerous nuisance, while conniving film-studio power players see them as moneymakers, and the rest of humanity sees them as shades in between.
    — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Scott, 88, shares the character's worldview, despite the filmmaker’s notoriously gruff exterior.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of gruff
Adjective
  • The increasing chances of being taken, whether one is in a church, mosque, school, on a trip to the capital Abuja or resting at home, is a grim reality that should not be the case given Tinubu’s firm campaign pledges.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The chattiness of Eddy’s dispatches does little to conceal that the novel’s Jamaica is a grim place for gay men.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of grim
Adjective
  • Irving was born in New York City on April 3, 1783, the son of a stern Scottish immigrant who ran a tidy import business selling wine, sugar, and hardware.
    — Eric Lach, New Yorker, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Former President Joe Biden turned to then-CIA Director William Burns to relay stern warnings to Russia before and after President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
    — Matthew Mulligan, NBC news, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of stern
Adjective
  • The company blends the visual identity of the larger XSR family with modern entry-level components, shrinking the basic ingredients into a package that's easier to ride, cheaper to run, and far less intimidating.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The record is 92,003, an intimidating number that AT&T Stadium can easily accommodate, and a figure that is an unspoken goal for an event coming to Arlington this month.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Adjective
  • Casemiro and Messi, fierce rivals when Casemiro was at Real Madrid and Messi at Barcelona, celebrated together, a rare sight for longtime La Liga fans.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Pearce was celebrating five years of Opry membership and would return later to channel many aspects of Dolly, from her humor and fierce independence to her Appalachian roots.
    — Chris Parton, USA Today, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of fierce
Adjective
  • The fire remains active in all directions — primarily within the Ventana Wilderness, which is also remote and rugged terrain.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Civilian infrastructure failed or disappeared, telecommunications broke down, and hundreds of thousands of people were stranded in what was already a relatively remote, rugged corner of the country.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of rugged
Adjective
  • Although the news may be bleak for the dinner's thousands of supporters, the committee also shared a glimmer of hope.
    — Bebe Hodges, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Aug. 2026
  • In many ways, her life feels like a bleak look at the false promise of placing all of your need for validation in your husband.
    — Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Forecasters said the system is expected to be short-lived because of hostile environmental conditions starting on Friday that will prevent it from developing further.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Electronic warfare systems such as NGJ-MB are carried by aircraft and use advanced electronics to interfere with or counter hostile electromagnetic systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostile

Browse Nearby Words

do up
dour
dourly
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Cite this Entry

“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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