Dour (rhymes with “tour”) describes someone who seems gloomy, stern, and humorless. A dour person rarely smiles, speaks in a flat or grumpy tone, and treats even good news with a frown. Picture a teacher who never cracks a joke, responds to every question with a sigh, and greets sunny days with the same enthusiasm as rainy ones.

The word captures a specific kind of gloominess: a persistent, stubborn refusal to brighten up. Someone having a bad day might seem grumpy, but a truly dour person acts that way all the time. A dour librarian might glare at laughing children even when they're being reasonably quiet. A dour neighbor might complain about your lemonade stand instead of buying a cup.

Interestingly, dour doesn't always mean mean-spirited. Some dour people are simply serious and unsmiling by nature. They might be perfectly fair and even kind, just without any visible warmth or cheerfulness. Still, being around someone dour can feel draining, like trying to have fun while someone keeps reminding you how difficult everything is.