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Glite Dictionary
to demur at

to demur at

8.8
To show you are unsure or do not agree about something
  • phrasal verb
  • /dɪˈmɜr æt/
  • Formal
translation icon : objetar
  • Despite his initial enthusiasm, he demurred at the proposal after hearing further details.

Examples

  • "Gwyn demurred at the word on the tip of her tongue, "but, if you'll excuse my French."

    Fiction book (1990)

  • He likewise does not demur at Weizmann's affirmation of the stolidity and self-satisfaction of a majority of people with its own ethnonational state.

    Academic text (1999)

  • Rabinall had wanted to buy a Whitey Lockman from him, but Curran had demurred at the last moment, stubbornly refusing to come down a final notch in price.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • She demurred at the idea of changing the wedding date, expressing her concerns calmly.

  • When asked to extend the deadline, he demurred at first, uncertain about the implications.

Synonyms

to decline
vsto demur at
272 3.4

To say no politely to an offer or invitation

is about expressing hesitation or objection rather than an outright refusal
to demur
vsto demur at
  • Formal
3 8.9

Show that you disagree or are unwilling, often for legal and moral reasons

is a general expression of hesitation or objection rather than a legal stance
to remonstrate
vsto demur at
  • Formal
1 8.5

To speak strongly to show you disagree

is milder and shows hesitation or raised concern rather than strong protest

Antonyms

to acquiesce
  • Formal
20 8.4

To accept something you do not want without complaining

How Reluctant

to refuse
716 1.7
to protest
283 3.2
to object
349 5.1
to demur at
  • Formal
8.8
to hesitate
318 2.5

Surface Forms

demur at infinitive
demurred at past
demurred at past participle
demurring at present participle
demurs at third person singular

Morphology

demur + at

The verb 'demur' already encodes 'voice reluctance or object' and the preposition 'at' simply marks the target of that reluctance, so the combined meaning ('express hesitation or raise objections concerning something') is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern (verb meaning 'object/hesitate' + preposition marking the target) is cross-linguistically common, making the phrase readily understandable to learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Demur at comes from an old word meaning 'to stay' or 'delay'. Picture someone standing back, pausing at a door and not joining in. That image of holding back is why demur at now means 'to hesitate' or 'raise an objection'.