English Explanatory Dictionary

demure

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Modest, quiet, reserved, or serious.
  2. Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity.
verb
  1. To look demurely.

Pronunciation

/dɪˈmjʊə(ɹ)/ /dəˈmjɔː(ɹ)/ /dɪˈmjɵː(ɹ)/ /dɪˈmjʊɹ/ /dɪˈmjɔɹ/ /dəˈmjʊə(ɹ)/ /dəˈmjʉə(ɹ)/ en-us-demure.ogg en-au-demure.ogg

Word forms

demure demurer demurest demures demuring demured

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English demure, demwre, an abbreviation of Anglo-Norman de mure port (“with a mature demeanor”) (compare Old French meur from Latin mātūrus): *si il seyt coy e de mure port (Amur curteiz) (“he sits quietly and with a mature appearance”) * Documents illustrating the history of Scotland, CLV, 1306, Orders for the custody of Scottish prisoners, CLV: …et que eles soient de bon et meur port (“…with a good and mature demeanor”) * mss. Arundel, 220: ke cely qe vus amerez soyt de gentil manere, coy, de meure porture (“with a mature demeanor”) * (Monastic rule): de aunciene dame de meure porture ke pusse les plus ieuenes rieueler e endoctriner (“an old lady with a mature demeanor able to rule and educate the young girls”).

Synonyms

retiring shy sober austere frightful demure serious grave earnest grievous lack-laughter thoughtful sad sage saturnine sedate solemn solemncholy somber sombre staid stern sweer weightsome weighty coy

Derived words

demurely demureness demurity undemure
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on D Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary