demure

adjective

de·​mure di-ˈmyu̇r 

1

: reserved, modest

2

: affectedly modest, reserved, or serious : coy

demurely adverb

demureness noun

Did you know?

In the nearly seven centuries that demure has been in use, its meaning has only shifted slightly. While it began solely as a descriptive term for people of quiet modesty and sedate reserve—those who don't draw attention to themselves, whether because of a shy nature or determined self-control—it came to be applied also to those whose modesty and reservation is more affectation than sincere expression. While demure sounds French and entered the language at a time when the native tongue of England was borrowing many French words from the Normans, the etymological evidence requires that we exercise restraint: the word's origin remains obscure.

Synonyms

• coquettish
• coy
• kittenish

Examples of demure in a Sentence

So even if you think you've moved past your reputation as The Rebel, two minutes after getting together with your more demure sister, you're likely to fall back into that hell-raiser role. —Jessica Mehalic, Cosmopolitan, August 2001

It looked as though the dress and capelet were one piece. It created a demure look, but if you take off the capelet, it's a seductive strapless dress. —Elizabeth Hayt, Vogue, December 1999

I made a lot of friends at Les Tourelles with whom I have kept in touch over the years. There was one darling little girl, much younger than the rest of us, who was sweet, demure, and quiet, with beautiful long hair like Alice in Wonderland. —Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985

She was wearing a demure gray suit.

the demure charm of the cottage

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet there are other artworks in this show that qualify as demure: an empty room by Vilhelm Hammershøi or Édouard Vuillard’s portrait of a woman whose dress blends in with the wallpaper. —Amy Verner, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2024

The current iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are mostly demure and understated, unlike the more vivid shades for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus. —David Phelan, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024

In the aftermath,Tammany leaders played down their ambitions and put on demure faces in public. —Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 17 Oct. 2024

Virgo: Thing Like a methodical Virgo, Thing keeps things very mindful and demure in The Addams Family. —Athena Sobhan, People.com, 14 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

demure

adjective

de·​mure di-ˈmyu̇(ə)r 

1

a

: quiet and polite

a demure young lady

b

: not showy or flashy

a demure gray dress

2

: falsely modest, reserved, or serious : coy

demurely adverb

demureness noun