Jacqueline FitzgeraldYaron SteinbuchKayla WalshWilliam Makepeace Thackeray
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In the nearly seven centuries that demure has been in use, its meaning has only shifted slightly. While it began solely as a descriptive term for people of quiet modesty and sedate reserve—those who don't draw attention to themselves, whether because of a shy nature or determined self-control—it came to be applied also to those whose modesty and reservation is more affectation than sincere expression. While demure sounds French and entered the language at a time when the native tongue of England was borrowing many French words from the Normans, the etymological evidence requires that we exercise restraint: the word's origin remains obscure.
Examples of demure in a Sentence
Jessica Mehalic, Cosmopolitan, August 2001
It looked as though the dress and capelet were one piece. It created a demure look, but if you take off the capelet, it's a seductive strapless dress.
—Elizabeth Hayt, Vogue, December 1999
I made a lot of friends at Les Tourelles with whom I have kept in touch over the years. There was one darling little girl, much younger than the rest of us, who was sweet, demure, and quiet, with beautiful long hair like Alice in Wonderland.
—Anna Russell, I'm Not Making This Up, You Know, 1985
She was wearing a demure gray suit.
the demure charm of the cottage
Ana Karina Zatarain, New Yorker, 19 Sep. 2025
Her demure manicure matched perfectly with the daring vintage Mugler dress that her stylist, Andrew Mukamal, chose for her.
—Violeta Valdés, Glamour, 16 Sep. 2025
The whole family opted for demure attire, with Bateman layering a chocolate brown button-down shirt over a black T-shirt, and Anka pairing a chic black vest with a slip skirt.
—Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
Fellow Bravo alum Stassi Schroeder also walked in the show, along with other influencers and professional models, in a bikini only slightly more demure than Bethenny’s.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demure
Cite this Entry
“Demure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demure. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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demure
adjective
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