as in gruff
harsh and threatening in manner or appearance
a dour prison guard who didn't look like he'd be very understanding
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dour
That dour affair left a sour taste in the soccer world.
—
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Cesar R. Torres, The Conversation, 26 May 2026
Students and retirees are dour.
—Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 24 May 2026
The problem is that this is misleadingly planting dour ideas in my head and could prod me into a worse mental condition.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 May 2026
The dour sentiment reading comes at a time when a large swath of data paints a picture of a resilient US economy while the stock market continues to hit new highs.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
-
But Rose bet that a less gruff voice, ultimately Mike Brown’s, was required to win it all.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
14 June 2026
-
Platner, a gruff 41-year-old Marine Corps veteran, is trying to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins with a platform of economic populism, universal health care, labor protections, and anti-interventionism.—
Elizabeth Bruenig,
The Atlantic,
4 June 2026
Adjective
-
Travellers could be forgiven for growing grim about the mouth.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
16 June 2026
-
More to Explore In hundreds of grim mines, Sicilian children were exploited in slave-like conditions.—
Matthew Wills,
JSTOR Daily,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Fold-down stern platforms create more than 50 square feet of additional usable space at anchor.—
Michael Verdon,
Robb Report,
16 June 2026
-
The photo shows both the bow and the stern sections under construction.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
The Valkyries seemed equally eager to welcome the rookie to the league’s most intimidating road environment, and succeeded in stifling the 23-year-old guard.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
18 June 2026
-
The climb up the dune is so severe that players cannot see the minuscule green from the tee box, which is surrounded by an intimidating set of bunkers that catch wayward shots.—
Gabby Herzig,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
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Publishers must also navigate changing consumer behavior, rising shipping costs and a fierce attention economy.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
14 June 2026
-
The thing everyone, from the NCAA’s fiercest critics to its most loyal defenders, understood had to remain nonnegotiable.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 June 2026
Adjective
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Travelers experience Marlborough wine country, Kaikoura wildlife, the Southern Alps, the rugged West Coast, and Queenstown.—
Steve Madgwick,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
-
For anyone venturing off-the-grid or out deep in nature, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a top contender as a rugged, adventure-suitable wearable.—
Cierra Cowan,
PC Magazine,
18 June 2026
Adjective
-
Their pursuit leads them down a highly unusual path with no easy answers, and Bong masterfully balances tonal shifts from bleak tragedy to absurdist humor to highlight why the case remains so compelling.—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
-
The picture looks much bleaker for the president now.—
Linley Sanders,
Chicago Tribune,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
But if his intention is a quick rate cut, the new chairman might be entering a hostile work environment.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
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French, American, British and other naval crews already have experience of escorting civilian ships through hostile fire in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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