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

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

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Sixty-nine year-old Cherng, who is in the line in Singapore, tells the BBC that he has been having durian "almost every day".

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

But Pong made himself come twice a week—for no other reason than to walk out the door on his own two feet, rather than riding out in a durian basket.

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

Once harvested, the durians are brought to Uncle Thing's shop, where they are sorted into baskets ranging from Grade A, for the large and round ones, to Grade C, the small and odd-shaped.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

"Even if only 2% of Chinese people want to buy durians, that's more than enough business," says Chee Seng Wong, factory manager of Fresco Green, a durian exporter in Raub.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

But I say, the fruits! they were tip-top: mangosteens and guavas, and mangoes, and cocoa-nuts, and durians, and some of the best bananas I ever ate in my life.”

From Middy and Ensign by Rowlandson, G. D.