Dourer

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. More severe or stern in appearance or manner compared to others
2. Having a grimmer, harsher, or more forbidding character than usual
3. Exhibiting an increased level of gloominess or harshness in expression or demeanor

Etymology: "Dourer" is the comparative form of "dour," so it is the adjective meaning "more dour." The base word is a Scots form that came into English around the 1500s, borrowed from Scots "dour," which itself traces to Latin "durus," meaning "hard" or "harsh." That Latin root also gave English "endure" and "durable," which is a useful clue to the sense the word carries. The original idea was physical hardness and stubbornness rather than a face or temperament. Scots usage applied "dour" to hard ground, stubborn animals, and tenacious people before the modern sense of grim, humorless sternness became dominant. The shift from hardness of material to hardness of character is what makes the word feel so grim today.

Synonyms: stern, gloomy, morose

Antonyms: cheerful, bright, happy