demur
Americanverb (used without object)
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demurs,
present (3rd person singular)
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demurred,
past participle, past
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demurring
present participle
noun
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the act of making objection.
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an objection raised.
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Law: Obsolete. a demurrer.
verb
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to raise objections or show reluctance; object
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law to raise an objection by entering a demurrer
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archaic to hesitate; delay
noun
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the act of demurring
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an objection raised
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archaic hesitation
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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demursimple
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demurssimple
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have demurredperfect
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has demurredperfect
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am demurringprogressive
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are demurringprogressive
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is demurringprogressive
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have been demurringperfect progressive
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has been demurringperfect progressive
Past
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demurredsimple
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had demurredperfect
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was demurringprogressive
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were demurringprogressive
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had been demurringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of demur
1175–1225; Middle English demuren < Anglo-French demurer, Old French demorer < Latin dēmorārī to linger, equivalent to dē- de- + morārī to delay, derivative of mora delay
Explanation
If your mother asks you to clean your room and you refuse, you demur. And if your friend invites you to the Death Metal Forever concert but you hesitate, you demur. Whether you object, politely disagree, or hesitate, you demur. If Aunt Tilly offers to knit you a sweater, you might politely demur, being reluctant to accept. When she describes the bunnies she plans for the sweater, you would want to strongly demur, explaining that you are moving to Texas next week and will no longer need sweaters. And if you find yourself the defendant in a civil suit, you might file a demurrer, objecting to the plaintiff’s complaint. When you file that demurrer, you also demur.
Vocabulary lists containing demur
To Kill a Mockingbird
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Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "D"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When their new neighbors asked where they were from, most would demur and say “Southern California” or “near Los Angeles.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
But ask him about Television, and he would often demur.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 30, 2023
Most virologists demur when asked about which variant — or variants — will be infecting people this winter.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2022
But when pressed for what that might mean, they tended to demur, saying simply that, if called, they would serve their side in a conflict.
From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2021
Anytime a reporter asked whether he’d join the race for president, Barack would demur, saying simply, “I'm still thinking about it. It’s a family decision.”
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
If your friend demurs at your offer to be your season companion courtside, share your view of what he has given you.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
As for whether he gets the credit he deserves for making that tournament possible, Rothenberg demurs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2026
“I think it’s just kind of endearing and pretty damn accurate,” Robby demurs.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026
Burton demurs when asked about what he wants to shoot next.
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2024
I offer a berry to Locke, but he demurs.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
But when Iater asked El-Sayed what he was thinking in that moment, he more or less demurred.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
He demurred when I asked him for a grade on his tenure to date and instead talked about how Novo Nordisk—which has fallen behind in the GLP-1 wars despite creating the market—is changing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Jennings demurred, though he too claimed he had a great 20-minute conversation with McConnell.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
When asked about joining a list of Lakers coaches that includes Jackson and Pat Riley, Redick demurred.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
“It is not likely the Old Lord can sell all the land of his family without the agreement of his sons,” he demurred.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
After months of demurring, citing concerns about the weapons’ use and saying they were not necessary, U.S. officials have recently signaled a shift.
From New York Times ● Jul. 6, 2023
So far, McConnell is demurring and saying that Biden and McCarthy need to work this out themselves.
From Seattle Times ● May 5, 2023
McDuffie himself has not said anything publicly about the idea, demurring when asked last year by The Washington Post whether he had considered running for mayor instead.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 29, 2022
After months of demurring, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has made public a floor plan for its new building, designed by Swiss architect Peter Zumthor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2020
After they had been seated about the middle room with demurring and unwillingness to take seats, for politeness, Wang Lung went into the kitchen to bid the woman serve.
From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
