demure
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
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- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 360: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "US" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. IPA(key): /dɪˈmjʊɹ/
Audio (US): (file) Audio (AU): (file)
- 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[1]:
- [H]owever hard she pushed the tough-talkin' shtick, she remained doe-eyed, glowing and somehow unassailably demure.
- 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.
- c. 1824, Mary Russell Mitford, Walks in the Country
Derived terms
Translations
modest, quiet, reserved
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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 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene xvi], page 363, column 2, line 30:
- Your Wife Octavia, with her modeſt eyes, / […] ſhall acquire no Honour / Demuring vpon me:
Middle English
Etymology 1
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Adjective
demure
Derived terms
Descendants
References
- “dēmūr, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 2
From Old French demore, demure.
Alternative forms
Pronunciation
Noun
demure
Related terms
Descendants
- English: demur
References
- “dēmū̆re, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 3
Verb
demure
- Alternative form of demuren
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *meh₂- (good)
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms with unknown etymologies
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)/2 syllables
- Rhymes:English/ʊə(ɹ)
- Rhymes:English/ʊə(ɹ)/2 syllables
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with usage examples
- English terms with quotations
- English verbs
- English terms with obsolete senses
- en:Personality
- Middle English terms prefixed with de-
- Middle English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English adjectives
- Middle English terms borrowed from Old French
- Middle English terms derived from Old French
- Middle English nouns
- Middle English terms with rare senses
- Middle English verbs
- enm:Personality
- enm:Time