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Glite Dictionary
dourness

dourness

7.1
A serious, unfriendly way of behaving that makes someone seem gloomy
  • noun
  • /ˈdaʊərnəs/
translation icon : morosidad
  • The dourness of her expression made it clear that she was not pleased with the results.

Examples

  • His frequent frowns and lack of smiles gave him a reputation for dourness among his colleagues.

  • I don't think I can take that much dourness in one night. :)

    Blog text (2)

  • People who bitched about MRR's dourness would have been absolutely shocked.

    Blog text (7)

  • This season of Lent, of fasting, penitence, and almsgiving, of metanoia, is not an excuse for dourness or meanness of spirit.

    Blog text (1)

  • Despite the festive atmosphere, his dourness stood out like a dark cloud over the celebration.

Synonyms

sternness
vsdourness
1 5.1

A strict, serious attitude that does not allow bad behavior

combines that firmness with a cold, gloomy appearance rather than only strictness
somberness
vsdourness
  • US
1 6.5

A serious, sad mood that feels quiet and heavy

adds a harsh, unyielding manner to that serious, sad tone
moroseness
vsdourness
1 8.4

A gloomy, unfriendly mood that makes a person quiet and hard to approach

is firmer and more unyielding rather than mainly emotional upset
gloominess
vsdourness
4.4

A sad, frowning look on a person's face

pairs that outward sadness with a stern, uncompromising bearing
sulky demeanor
vsdourness
7.1

A quiet unhappy mood that shows on a person's face or in their body language

is colder and more unyielding in manner than mere moodiness
mumpish attitude
vsdourness
  • Archaic
9.9

A mood of being quiet and annoyed

is more stern and unbending rather than silently resentful

Antonyms

cheerfulness
4 1.0

A happy mood that makes you smile and helps others feel good

lightheartedness
1 4.8

A cheerful, carefree feeling that makes people relax

How Dour

sullenness
1 7.9
dourness
7.1
sternness
1 5.1

Surface Forms

dourness singular
dournesses plural

Morphology

dourness = dour (transparent) = dour + ness

Standard nominalization from the adjective 'dour' indicating the state or quality of being dour.

Etymology

Dourness comes from the Latin root durus, which means 'hard'. You can see the same root in English words like endure and durable, so dourness means a 'hard', strict, or gloomy way of acting.