Meaning & use

demure

adjective·Academic

Reserved, modest, and quietly well-behaved in manner, especially describing a woman's shyness.

See it in a sentence

She gave a demure smile and looked down before answering the reporter's question.

The bride wore a demure, high-necked dress rather than anything flashy.

A note on using this word

Demure often carries a slightly old-fashioned or formal tone and is used more often to describe women than men.

Words with a similar meaning

modestreserved

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

brashbold

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