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
Both Moody and her predecessor, Pam Bondi, had long careers anchored in the dour courtrooms of the Hillsborough County Courthouse Annex — Moody as a judge who oversaw thousands of felony cases, Bondi as a homicide prosecutor.
—Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The dour environment alone won’t win Turek or Wahls the Senate seat.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
An expensive new terminal at O’Hare Airport is viewed as pivotal to American’s efforts to change an increasingly dour narrative about its ability to keep up with the Joneses of the airline industry.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Above all, the Turning Point show was boring and dour.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
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Dan Sullivan, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2026
The dour environment alone won’t win Turek or Wahls the Senate seat.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 17 Feb. 2026
An expensive new terminal at O’Hare Airport is viewed as pivotal to American’s efforts to change an increasingly dour narrative about its ability to keep up with the Joneses of the airline industry.
—Dallas Morning News, 15 Feb. 2026
Above all, the Turning Point show was boring and dour.
—David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for dour
Cite this Entry
“Dour.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dour. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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