dour
adjective /dʊə(r)/, /ˈdaʊə(r)/
/dʊr/, /ˈdaʊər/
- (of a person) giving the impression of being unfriendly and severe
- He was a dour middle-aged man.
- He was a striking figure with a long, dour face.
- They were barely acknowledged by a dour receptionist.
- (of a thing, a place, or a situation) not pleasant; with no features that make it lively or interesting
- The city, drab and dour by day, is transformed at night.
- The game proved to be a dour struggle, with both men determined to win.
Word Originlate Middle English (originally Scots): probably from Scottish Gaelic dúr ‘dull, obstinate, stupid’, perhaps from Latin durus ‘hard’.