demure
English edit
Etymology edit
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 edit
- Distinguish from pronunciation of demur
Adjective edit
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.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
modest, quiet, reserved
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Verb edit
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[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 edit
Etymology 1 edit
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
demure
Derived terms edit
Descendants edit
References edit
- “dēmūr, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 2 edit
From Old French demore, demure.
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
demure
Related terms edit
Descendants edit
- English: demur
References edit
- “dēmū̆re, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
Etymology 3 edit
Verb edit
demure
- Alternative form of demuren
Categories:
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *meh₂- (good)
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- Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)
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