durian

American  

[door-ee-uhn, -ahn] / ˈdʊər i ən, -ˌɑn /

Or durion

noun

durians plural

1. the edible fruit of a tree, Durio zibethinus, of the bombax family, of southeastern Asia, having a hard, prickly rind, a highly flavored, pulpy flesh, and an unpleasant odor.

2. the tree itself.

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durian British  

/ ˈdjʊərɪən /

noun

1. a SE Asian bombacaceous tree, Durio zibethinus, having very large oval fruits with a hard spiny rind containing seeds surrounded by edible evil-smelling aril

2. the fruit of this tree, which has an offensive smell but a pleasant taste: supposedly an aphrodisiac

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• durians
  plural

Etymology

Origin of durian

1580–90; < Malay: a fruit with spiky skin, equivalent to duri thorn + -an nominalizer suffix

Explanation

If you're traveling in Southeast Asia and you come upon an odd oval fruit that looks like a green porcupine, you have found a durian. Don't be put off by its bad smell; the inside is delicious. Although the durian has only been known by the Western world since the 16th Century, its history goes back to prehistoric times. The name comes from the Malay root word duri, meaning "thorn" or "prickle," an allusion to its spiny outer covering. Its genus, Durio, has around 30 species, and the color of the edible inside varies from creamy to red. Foodies have compared its taste to a fine custard flavored with almonds, and even the seeds are edible.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

durian durians

This generosity is being fuelled by an oversupply of durian across the border in Malaysia, which typically produces about 550,000 tonnes a year.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

"Different periods of durian growth have different requirements of the weather," Han says.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

As a finicky eater who happens to be queer, Black and disabled, I wouldn’t touch durian, duck tongues or most of the basket items on the Food Network TV show, “Chopped.”

From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026

Raub is one of many South East Asian towns that sit at the heart of a global durian rush, pumped by China's growing demand.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

He nearly threw up as he pushed the durian skins, orange rinds, and banana peels up around him, packing them over his head, covering his face.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Malaysia's Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority has deployed emergency interventions to protect the income of small farmers, such as purchasing durians from them at a base price.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Customers in Malaysia and neighbouring Singapore are swarming fruit stalls where durians are being sold at huge discounts or, if they are lucky, given away for free.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

They are waiting patiently for the free fruit the seller has been giving away daily since mid-June: two durians per customer, about 600kg a day.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

At 72, Uncle Thing wakes up at dawn every day and weaves around his hilly farm to collect ripened durians, either dangling from trees or nestling on nets close to the ground.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

These durians are not to be surpassed— Ta’ lawan-lah buah durian ini.

From A Manual of the Malay language With an Introductory Sketch of the Sanskrit Element in Malay by Maxwell, William Edward, Sir