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demure

[ dih-myoor ]
/ dɪˈmyʊər /
||
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adjective, de·mur·er, de·mur·est.

characterized by shyness and modesty; reserved.
affectedly or coyly decorous, sober, or sedate.

RELATED WORDS

quietly, simply, plainly, humbly, purely, chastely, diffidently, shyly, unassumingly, unobtrusively, virtuously

Nearby words

  1. dempster,
  2. demucosation,
  3. demulcent,
  4. demulsify,
  5. demur,
  6. demurrage,
  7. demurral,
  8. demurrer,
  9. demuth,
  10. demuth, charles

Origin of demure

1350–1400; Middle English dem(e)ur(e) well-mannered, grave < Anglo-French demuré, past participle of demurer to demur; perhaps influenced by Old French mur, mëur grave, mature (< Latin matūrus)
ANTONYMS FOR demure
1, 2. indecorous.
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Related forms
Can be confuseddemur demure
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for demurely

British Dictionary definitions for demurely

demure

/ (dɪˈmjʊə) /

adjective

sedate; decorous; reserved
affectedly modest or prim; coy
Derived Formsdemurely, adverbdemureness, noun

Word Origin for demure

C14: perhaps from Old French demorer to delay, linger; perhaps influenced by meur ripe, mature
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012