Dour

Pronunciation: /dʊr/

Definitions of dour

adjective Dour is an adjective that describes someone who is stern, gloomy, or severe in manner or appearance.

Example Sentences

A1 The dour weather made everyone stay indoors.

A2 She had a dour expression on her face after receiving the bad news.

B1 The dour atmosphere in the office made it difficult for employees to focus.

B2 Despite his dour demeanor, he was actually a very kind-hearted person.

C1 The politician's dour outlook on the economy caused concern among investors.

C2 Her dour personality clashed with the lively atmosphere of the party.

Examples of dour in a Sentence

formal The professor had a dour expression as he graded the final exams.

informal She always has a dour look on her face when she's in a bad mood.

slang Why are you so dour all the time? Lighten up a bit!

figurative The storm clouds gathered overhead, casting a dour shadow over the town.

Grammatical Forms of dour

• past tense: doured
• plural: dours
• comparative: dourer
• superlative: dourest
• present tense: dour
• future tense: will dour
• perfect tense: have doured
• continuous tense: is douring
• singular: dour
• positive degree: dour
• infinitive: to dour
• gerund: douring
• participle: douring

Origin and Evolution of dour

First Known Use: 0014 year

Language of Origin: Middle English

Story behind the word: The word 'dour' originated from the Middle English word 'dure' which meant stern or severe.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the meaning of 'dour' has evolved to also include being gloomy or sullen in addition to stern or severe.