Demur can be a verb or a noun, while demure is an adjective; and becomes the adverb, demurely, also.
Demure means “shy, modest, polite, or unassuming” and can describe a person, or their manner:
The demure young lady lowered her eyes and approached the microphone hesitantly.
Demure has often been used to describe the mannerisms expected of girls and young women in sexist societies; females were expected to be quiet and timid, never assertive or demanding. Demure is often associated with humility:
The boy demurely turned down his opportunity to speak.
The usage of demure above points to the definition of the verb, demur, which means “to refuse, or object”—in a demure way:
She demurred to speak first because she did not want to be the center of attention.
Historically, demur (the verb) meant simply “to object or protest” without the added idea of humility; however, nowadays demur also has these connotations of demure, which it absorbed, due to their similarity in sound.
Demur can also be used as a noun; however, this belongs only in literary (artistic) writing.
How to Use "Demur" in a Sentence
- The politician demurred when he was asked about his drug use.
- "I can't give you that information", the secretary demurred.
- After listening patiently, James let out a gentle demur to her sales pitch and informed the salesperson that he would be happy to reconsider her offer at a later time.
- My spouse demurs to my ideas so often that it almost seems like a habit.
- The suspect demurred when asked if he was willing to answer questions without his lawyer present.
- When asked if she was involved in the scandal, the CEO demurred to give a direct answer, stating she was unaware of any credible reports of misconduct within the company.
How to Use "Demure" in a Sentence
- A demure person would be unlikely to instigate a confrontation.
- Jake’s demure smile put Sandra’s mind at ease.
- Elias is demure and reserved, which gives people the false impression that he might be a pushover, though he is in actuality very stubborn.
- The demure, innocent-looking girl was actually the leader of a gang that was robbing banks.
- Despite the aggressive style of the detectives, Tonya maintained her demure demeanor throughout the questioning.