demure

WOTD – 12 January 2009    

English

Etymology

From Old French meur (Modern French mûr) from Latin maturus. The "de-" is unexplained.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /dɪˈmjʊə(ɹ)/
• (US) IPA: /dɪˈmjʊɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Distinguish from pronunciation of demur

Adjective

demure (comparative more demure, superlative most demure)

1. Quiet, modest, reserved, sober, or serious.

   She is a demure young lady.

Derived terms

• demureness

Translations

modest, quiet, reserved

• Armenian: համեստ (hy) (hamest), լուրջ (hy) (lurǰ), ծանրաբարո (hy) (çanrabaro)
• Bulgarian: сериозен (bg) (seriozen), скромен (bg) (skromen)
• Czech: ostýchavý (cs) m
• Dutch: bescheiden (nl), gereserveerd (nl), sober (nl), ernstig (nl)

• Estonian: tagasihoidlik (et)
• Finnish: kaino (fi)
• French: réservé (fr), discret (fr),sobre (fr),sérieux (fr),
• Scottish Gaelic: stuama (gd)

Verb

demure (third-person singular simple present demures, present participle demuring, simple past and past participle demured)

1. (obsolete) To look demurely.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)