dour

adjective

ˈdau̇(-ə)r  ˈdu̇r 

1

: stern, harsh

a dour expression on her face

2

: obstinate, unyielding

… an insistent hunger for learning and a dour … determination to achieve it.

—Walter Moberly

3

: gloomy, sullen

a dour disposition

dourly adverb

dourness noun

Synonyms of dour

• gruff
• grim
• stern
• intimidating
• fierce
• rugged
• bleak
• hostile

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 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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin durus hard — more at during

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for dour

• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• empower
• firepower
• horsepower
• manpower
• mayflower
• safflower
• sunflower
• wallflower
• watchtower

Kids Definition

dour

adjective

ˈdu̇(ə)r  ˈdau̇(ə)r 

: looking or being stern or sullen

dourly adverb

dourness noun