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
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
The dangers of replicating humans and the potential for unethical abuse of the technology are stressed in a dour warning by a senior official on Earth, played with fiery authority in her final screen role by the redoubtable Haydn Gwynne, to whom the film is dedicated.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
The recent fires in Southern California probably have also damped the mood in Hollywood, which was already dour because of an ongoing financial retrenchment.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
For one thing, Overstreet seemed set on portraying Black history in a way that was neither overly dour nor entirely ignorant of past violence.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dour
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Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2025
The dangers of replicating humans and the potential for unethical abuse of the technology are stressed in a dour warning by a senior official on Earth, played with fiery authority in her final screen role by the redoubtable Haydn Gwynne, to whom the film is dedicated.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
The recent fires in Southern California probably have also damped the mood in Hollywood, which was already dour because of an ongoing financial retrenchment.
—Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2025
For one thing, Overstreet seemed set on portraying Black history in a way that was neither overly dour nor entirely ignorant of past violence.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 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 4 Mar. 2025.
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