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dour

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The definition of dour is stern, severe or gloomy.

(adjective)

An example of something dour is a dark, cloudy sky.

See dour in Webster's New World College Dictionary

adjective

Scot. hard; stern; severe
Scot. obstinate
sullen; gloomy; forbidding

Origin: ME < L durus: see durable

Related Forms:

dourly adverb
dourness noun

See dour in American Heritage Dictionary 4

adjective dour·er, dour·est

Marked by sternness or harshness; forbidding: a dour, self-sacrificing life.
Silently ill-humored; gloomy: the proverbially dour New England Puritan.
Sternly obstinate; unyielding: a dour determination.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English

Origin: , possibly from Middle Irish dúr

Origin: , probably from Latin dūrus, hard; see deru- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms:

dourˈly adverb

dourˈness noun

Usage Note: The word dour, which is etymologically related to duress and endure, traditionally rhymes with tour. The variant pronunciation that rhymes with sour is, however, widely used and must be considered acceptable. In a recent survey, 65 percent of the Usage Panel preferred the traditional pronunciation, and 33 percent preferred the variant.

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