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demure. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
demure, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
demure in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
demure you have here. The definition of the word
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demure, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English demure, demwre, of uncertain formation, but probably from Old French meur (Modern French mûr) from Latin mātūrus. The "de-" is "of", as in "of maturity".
Pronunciation
- Distinguish from pronunciation of demur
Adjective
demure (comparative demurer, superlative demurest)
- (usually of women) Quiet, modest, reserved, sober, or serious.
She is a demure young lady.
1881, William Black, The Beautiful Wretch:Nan was very much delighted in her demure way, and that delight showed itself in her face and in her clear bright eyes.
2005, Maureen Dowd, Are Men Necessary?, →ISBN, page 311:I was coming back from the ladies' room when I saw her. She looked demure. Oval wire-rimmed glasses. A sky blue jacket buttoned over a long black-and-white flowered shirt.
2014 January 21, Hermione Hoby, “Julia Roberts interview for August: Osage County – 'I might actually go to hell for this …'”, in The Daily Telegraph:[H]owever hard she pushed the tough-talkin' shtick, she remained doe-eyed, glowing and somehow unassailably demure.
2021 June 30, Motoko Rich, Hikari Hida, “Expected to Be Demure, Japan’s Girls Face Steep Hurdles to Athletic Dreams”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:And in their daily lives, girls and women are pushed to conform to fairly narrow templates of behavior as demure or delicate.
- Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity.
c. 1824, Mary Russell Mitford, Walks in the Country:Miss Lizzy, I have no doubt, would be as demure and coquettish, as if ten winters more had gone over her head.
Derived terms
Translations
modest, quiet, reserved
- Armenian: համեստ (hy) (hamest), լուրջ (hy) (lurǰ), ծանրաբարո (hy) (canrabaro)
- Bulgarian: сериозен (bg) (seriozen), скромен (bg) (skromen)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 嫻靜/娴静 (zh) (xiánjìng)
- Czech: ostýchavý m
- Dutch: bescheiden (nl), beschaafd (nl), keurig (nl), netjes (nl)
- Estonian: tagasihoidlik
- Finnish: kaino (fi)
- French: réservé (fr), discret (fr), sobre (fr), sérieux (fr)
- Georgian: თავმდაბალი (tavmdabali)
- German: zurückhaltend (de), ernst (de), sittsam (de) (dated)
- Greek: χαμηλοθώρης (el) m (chamilothóris), χαμηλοβλεπούσα (el) f (chamilovlepoúsa)
- Hungarian: tartózkodó (hu), visszafogott (hu), diszkrét (hu), komoly (hu), szolid (hu)
- Irish: stuama
- Italian: pudico (it) m, riservato (it) m
- Kazakh: сыпайы (sypaiy), сабырлы (sabyrly), ұстамды (ūstamdy)
- Korean: 얌전하다 (yamjeonhada), 조용하다 (ko) (joyonghada)
- Middle English: demure, mure
- Portuguese: reservado (pt)
- Russian: скро́мный (ru) (skrómnyj) (modest), серьёзный (ru) (serʹjóznyj) (serious), сде́ржанный (ru) (sdéržannyj) (reserved), ти́хий (ru) (tíxij) (quiet)
- Scottish Gaelic: stuama
- Spanish: modesto (es), reservado (es)
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Verb
demure (third-person singular simple present demures, present participle demuring, simple past and past participle demured)
- (obsolete) To look demurely.
c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, , page 363, column 2, line 30:Your Wife Octavia, with her modeſt eyes, / […] ſhall acquire no Honour / Demuring vpon me:
Middle English
Etymology 1
From de- + mure.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Adjective
demure
- grave, serious, modest
Derived terms
Descendants
References
Etymology 2
From Old French demore, demure.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dɛːˈmeːr/, /dɛːˈmiu̯r/, /dɛːˈmur/
Noun
demure
- (rare) delay, waiting, stay
Related terms
Descendants
References
Etymology 3
Verb
demure
- Alternative form of demuren