Word: demure
Pronunciation: di-MYUR
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: reserved, modest, and shy
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Here’s another word pulled from the list of 100 most beautiful words in English. This one’s a little closer to home, since I could easily use it to describe myself. Anyone who knows me in person can testify to the fact that I’m extremely shy and reserved, so if you’re like me (or know a woman like me), then “demure” is a good word for you to know too!
A “demure” woman is modest and reserved in her behavior. The word arose in late Middle English in the sense “sober” or “serious”, and can be traced back to the Old French adjective meur, meaning “mature”. This adjective stems from the Latin adjective maturus, which means “mature” or “ripe”.
It’s worth noting that “demure” can also be used to describe clothing that lends a modest appearance to its wearer. Despite having the same etymological origin, it shouldn’t be confused with the verb “demur”, which means “raise doubts or objections or show reluctance”. According to Oxford Dictionaries, “demure” refers to the behavior of a woman, though I suppose it’s up to a writer’s discretion whether or not to use it as a gender-neutral adjective. If you draw inspiration from people who are modest and shy, you may have some “demure” characters in your stories!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
Yes, I agree that this is a lovely sounding word. It’s one I’ve used a few times in my books. I’m not sure I’d apply it to any of my male characters though. I enjoyed reading your description and explanation about the word.
“Demure” is definitely worthy of making the list of 100 most beautiful English words. I could certainly use it to describe some of my female characters! Glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for reading! 🙂
I agree. I love the word, demure.. My ‘d’ word this week is somewhat more harsh-sounding. I almost picked diaphanous, a word I do really love, and all the imagery it conjurs up. But last time through the alphabet, I did ethereal for ‘e’ and I felt that many of my illustrations for diaphanous would be a bit too similar. Thank you for reading my WOW, too. 😀
Good choices! “Diaphanous” and “ethereal” are beautiful words too! “Ethereal” is still on my list of upcoming vocabulary posts; perhaps I should consider writing about “diaphanous” in the future as well. Thanks for the idea! 🙂
They are both beautiful words. I’d be interested to see what you say about them, too.