demure
Meanings
Adjective Satellite
- affectedly modest or shy especially in a playful or provocative way
Adj
- Modest, quiet, reserved, or serious.
- Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity.
Verb
- To look demurely.
Origin / Etymology
Inherited from Middle English demure, demwre, an abbreviation of Anglo-Norman de mure port (“with a mature demeanor”) (compare Old French meur from Latin mātūrus):
*si il seyt coy e de mure port (Amur curteiz) (“he sits quietly and with a mature appearance”)
* Documents illustrating the history of Scotland, CLV, 1306, Orders for the custody of Scottish prisoners, CLV: …et que eles soient de bon et meur port (“…with a good and mature demeanor”)
* mss. Arundel, 220: ke cely qe vus amerez soyt de gentil manere, coy, de meure porture (“with a mature demeanor”)
* (Monastic rule): de aunciene dame de meure porture ke pusse les plus ieuenes rieueler e endoctriner (“an old lady with a mature demeanor able to rule and educate the young girls”).
Synonyms
austere, coy, demure, earnest, grave, grievous, lack-laughter, overmodest, retiring, sad, sage, saturnine, sedate, serious, shy, sober, solemn, solemncholy, somber, sombre, staid, stern, sweer, thoughtful, weightsome, weighty
Scrabble Score: 9
demure is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL worddemure is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
demure is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary