VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

demur vs. demure

phrase·Advancedformal

Last updated

UK/dɪˈmɜː ˈvɜːsəs dɪˈmjʊə/
US/dɪˈmɜːr ˈvɜːrsəs dɪˈmjʊr/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseformal

    A pair of look-alike words: demur is a verb for politely objecting or hesitating, while demure is an adjective for shy and modest.

    Grammar: Compare the parts of speech: she demurred (verb) versus a demure smile (adjective).

    Patterns

    • demur at something
    • demur to something
    • a demure person

    When asked to speak, he demurred and passed the microphone.

    She gave a demure smile and lowered her eyes.

    Writers confuse demur and demure, but one is a verb and the other an adjective.

  2. phrasefixed phraseformal

    A reminder that demur rhymes with her while demure rhymes with pure, so the endings sound different.

    Grammar: A pronunciation tip: demur has no final e and stresses the second syllable.

    Patterns

    • demur versus demure

    Demur ends like her, but demure ends like pure.

    If you hear dih-MYOOR, the word is demure.

    Remember that the final e makes demure a longer sound.

Common combinations

demur at
The manager demurred at the cost.
demur to
He demurred to his colleague's expertise.
without demur
She accepted the changes without demur.
demure smile
A demure smile crossed her face.
demure dress
She wore a demure dress with long sleeves.
demurely
He demurely declined the compliment.

Synonyms and how they differ

object
Object (verb) states open disagreement, while demur is quieter and more hesitant.
hesitate
Hesitate means to pause from uncertainty, and not necessarily to refuse.
modest
Modest is the neutral cousin of demure, applied to people who avoid showing off.
coy
Coy suggests pretended shyness, while demure suggests genuinely quiet reserve.

Opposites

agreebrazen

Word family

demurral noun
an act of raising a mild objection
demurely adverb
in a shy, modest way
demureness noun
the quality of being demure

Commonly confused: demur vs. demure or demure? demur vs. demure or demur?

demur vs. demure vs demure

If you mean a shy, quiet manner, you need the adjective demure with the final e.

demur vs. demure vs demur

If you mean to object, the verb has no final e and needs endings like -red: demurred.

Practice

Choose the correct word: "Asked to lead the project, Maya ______ and suggested a colleague instead."

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “demur vs. demure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words