adjective
dour
DOOR
Dour (adjective) means Stern, unfriendly, and serious in manner or expression. Example: “The dour receptionist barely looked up from her desk.”
adjective
1
Stern, unfriendly, and serious in manner or expression.
"The dour receptionist barely looked up from her desk."
"His dour expression made it hard to tell if he was joking."
2
Gloomy or grim.
"The film has a dour, bleak tone throughout."
How to use dour
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishGrim, stern, and not at all cheerful.
Common mistake
Pronounced to rhyme with "poor" or "hour" depending on dialect — not like "dower" with a hard "ow."
Common pairings
dour expression
dour mood
dour Scot (stereotype)
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Word forms
- Comparative
- dourer, more dour
- Superlative
- dourest, most dour
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ receptionist barely looked up from her desk.
Etymology
From Scots dour, likely from Latin dūrus ("hard, stern").
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for dour
See all rhymes for dour →Frequently asked questions
What does “dour” mean?
The word “dour” means stern, unfriendly, and serious in manner or expression. In plain terms, grim, stern, and not at all cheerful.
How do you pronounce “dour”?
“Dour” is pronounced DOOR (/ˈdʊɹ/ in IPA).
How do you use “dour” in a sentence?
Here is “dour” used in a sentence: “The dour receptionist barely looked up from her desk.”
What part of speech is “dour”?
“Dour” is an adjective.
Where does the word “dour” come from?
The word “dour” comes from Latin. From Scots dour, likely from Latin dūrus ("hard, stern").
How many meanings does “dour” have?
“Dour” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: stern, unfriendly, and serious in manner or expression.
