Meaning & use
demure
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableold-fashioned
Quiet, modest and a little shy in behavior or appearance, avoiding attention.
Grammar: Used before a noun (a demure smile) or after a linking verb (she seemed demure).
Patterns
- a demure smile/dress
- seem/look demure
The demure young woman lowered her eyes and said little at dinner.
She wore a demure grey dress with a high collar.
He gave a demure nod and slipped out of the room.
adjectivecomparablehumorous
Pretending to be shy or innocent in order to seem charming or to hide a playful intent.
Grammar: Describes an act put on for effect, often with a hint of irony.
Patterns
- a demure look/pose
With a demure little curtsy, she accepted the trophy she had clearly expected to win.
The cat gave a demure blink, though the broken vase lay beside her.
He folded his hands in a demure pose while the teacher scolded the others.
Word forms
| comparative | demurer |
|---|---|
| superlative | demurest |
Common combinations
- demure smile
- A demure smile crossed her face as she heard the compliment.
- demure manner
- Her demure manner hid a sharp sense of humor.
- demure dress
- The demure dress covered her shoulders and reached below the knee.
- demurely lower your eyes
- She demurely lowered her eyes and said thank you.
- look demure
- The twins looked demure in their matching school uniforms.
Synonyms and how they differ
- modest
- Modest is broader and can describe achievements, prices and size as well as people, whereas demure is mostly about manner and behavior.
- reserved
- Reserved suggests keeping feelings private and can be neutral or cool, while demure usually adds a gentle, sweet flavor.
- coy
- Coy suggests shyness that may be put on to tease or avoid answering, so it is more openly playful than demure.
- bashful
- Bashful points to real embarrassment or shyness, often in a child, while demure sounds more composed and controlled.
Opposites
Word family
- demurely adverb
- in a quiet, modest way
- demureness noun
- the quality of being quietly modest
Commonly confused: demure or demur?
demure vs demur
Demur is a verb meaning to raise a mild objection, as in he demurred at the plan, and it is not the same as the adjective demure.
Practice
Which sentence uses demure correctly?
Choose one answer.
A demure smile fits a modest, quiet manner. Shouting orders and complaining loudly are the opposite of demure, and a storm cannot be demure because the word describes people's manner.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “demure”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.