1
as in coquettish
affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest
the previously demure maiden began making some surprisingly shocking remarks
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2
as in shy
not comfortable around people
hesitant and demure, she hardly spoke a word at the banquet table
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in meek
not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness
wore a very demure outfit to the interview for the job at the church's headquarters
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Recent Examples of demure
Guardiola, usually a manager who passionately cajoles his players on the sidelines, cut a far more demure figure in the second half.
—
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
The pageant’s swimsuit (read: bikini) contest meanwhile endures, years after competitions like Miss World and Miss America ditched theirs in favor of marginally more demure alternatives, such as athleisure parades.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu knew that wouldn't work on the big screen, and opted for his Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) to take a more demure approach (including one fantastically cozy sweater robe).
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Sofia the First boasts a princess who is not demure, but instead loves adventure and stands up for what’s right.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demure
Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2025
The pageant’s swimsuit (read: bikini) contest meanwhile endures, years after competitions like Miss World and Miss America ditched theirs in favor of marginally more demure alternatives, such as athleisure parades.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 29 Nov. 2025
Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu knew that wouldn't work on the big screen, and opted for his Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) to take a more demure approach (including one fantastically cozy sweater robe).
—Patrick Gomez, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Nov. 2025
Sofia the First boasts a princess who is not demure, but instead loves adventure and stands up for what’s right.
—Taylor Grothe, Parents, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demure
Adjective
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Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Pink lace trim and bow accents give a standard French tip a pretty, coquettish touch.—
Ariel Wodarcyk,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Kristian Houston was a shy, nervous child who was afraid to speak in front of a crowd.—
Kamal Morgan
February 5,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
5 Feb. 2026
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Continue in the southerly direction, appreciating the gnarled coast live oaks and sound of shy red-eared sliders plopping off their logs into the water.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But savings were meek, with the largest dip found in Stockton, off only 4% last year vs up 2% in 2024 and 36% over the previous four years.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
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Soft power isn’t about being meek.—
Penny Abeywardena,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Twyla Tharp’s ballet Push Comes to Shove, which premiered in 1976, startled and delighted audiences with its coy, self-referential humor, and its flirtation with popular dance styles such as jazz and tango.—
Sara Krolewski,
The Atlantic,
5 Feb. 2026
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Aguilera was coy in her pose, covering her chest while displaying her cleavage and letting her jewelry do the talking.—
Michelle Lee,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The Flynns’ pompous neighbor, Jim Doherty, a divorcé with a withdrawn, unpleasant son, encourages Catherine’s artistic rebirth.—
Hannah Gold,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
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Off-screen, Affleck has a slightly rougher star persona, while Damon’s can be a little more withdrawn and intellectual.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Despite the win, Akey remained humble about her performance.—
Jasmine Arenas,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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But humble alpine outpost, this is not.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Simply brushing them out of your eyes can feel like a coquettish, kittenish gesture!—
Kara Nesvig,
Allure,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Seductively kittenish, Gardner lives up to her profane reputation.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2023
Adjective
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Meanwhile, some of Brady’s former teammates with the Patriots weren’t bashful about their loyalty heading into Super Bowl LX between the Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, including Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 Feb. 2026
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Next was a bashful grad student from Columbia’s engineering school who could not make eye contact.—
The Editors,
Curbed,
15 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demure. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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