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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of dour
Watch on Disney+ Thor: Ragnarok The first two Thor films were among the worst in the whole series—Chris Hemsworth’s thunder god was dour and charmless.
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Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Susquehanna also embraced a dour view of the overall market with sales of the SPDR S&P 500 and Invesco QQQ Trust ETFs.
—John Dobosz, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Target gave a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season, for example, while Walmart gave a much more encouraging outlook.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Others on Wall Street went after the Goldman call as misguidedly dour, which is itself possibly an interesting sentiment tell that investors don’t think fat years are followed by lean ones.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dour 
Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Susquehanna also embraced a dour view of the overall market with sales of the SPDR S&P 500 and Invesco QQQ Trust ETFs.
—John Dobosz, Forbes, 7 Dec. 2024
Target gave a dour forecast for the holiday shopping season, for example, while Walmart gave a much more encouraging outlook.
—Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024
Others on Wall Street went after the Goldman call as misguidedly dour, which is itself possibly an interesting sentiment tell that investors don’t think fat years are followed by lean ones.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dour
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dour
Adjective
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The wartime leader became a global icon for his gruff fortitude in the opening stages of the war, but his domestic popularity has since dipped.David Brennan, ABC News, 17 Jan. 2025
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Anderson recalled, adopting a gruff tone and pointing toward the audience.EW.com, EW.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The Canucks are one winning streak with a healthy lineup away from healing all wounds, but for now, things feel grim.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
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And there was more grim news, this time from Shana’s client: Her home had burned down.Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming border czar Tom Homan has issued a stern warning to migrants illegally entering the U.S. in the final days of the Biden administration.Jackson Walker, Baltimore Sun, 6 Jan. 2025
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That’s the pinnacle stewardship stern directors, CFOs and CTOs embrace.Noah Barsky, Forbes, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Lyft’s challenges were compounded by fierce rivalry with Uber (NYSE: UBER) and the disruptive impact of the pandemic.Trefis Team, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
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Tariffs Don't Have to Make Economic Sense to Appeal to Trump Voters The debates over tariffs were fierce.Einav Rabinovitch-Fox / Made by History, TIME, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The rest of the team can't stay healthy because of a rugged artificial turf home field.Dianna Russini, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
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These include the rugged Prombron Black Stallion CLV, which will be built on a General Motors platform, and the high-performance Prombron Iron Stallion, which is based on the Lamborghini Urus.Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But beneath Pansy’s rage, often a source of that specific, bleak brand of Mike Leigh comedy, lies severe OCD, anxiety, depression, and the grief of having recently lost her mother.Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
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While the art world has felt bleak amid a buckling market, a new art fair is gracing Los Angeles this year.Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Learning new skills Technology advancements may feel intimidating but can be learned.Melissa Houston, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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Bob Veale, one of the most intimidating pitchers of the 1960s who is credited with inventing a popular baseball saying, passed away at age 89.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Aber’s book is successful in showing that self-hatred is the fruit not of a few particular traumas but rather of a hostile environment’s erosive drip on the psyche.Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 13 Jan. 2025
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Both saw themselves as outsiders in a hostile environment.Ruth Margalit, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dour
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dour. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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