Synonyms of demure

demure

adjective

di-ˈmyu̇r 

1

as in coquettish

affecting shyness or modesty in order to attract masculine interest

the previously demure maiden began making some surprisingly shocking remarks

Synonyms & Similar Words

• coquettish
• coy
• kittenish
• flirtatious
• girlish
• prudish
• flirty
• priggish
• prim
• governessy
• overmodest
• goody-goody

2

as in shy

not comfortable around people

hesitant and demure, she hardly spoke a word at the banquet table

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shy
• withdrawn
• bashful
• lone
• modest
• coy
• sheepish
• diffident
• introverted
• recessive
• retiring
• backward
• self-effacing
• reserved
• awkward
• embarrassed
• unassertive
• antisocial
• unsociable
• unsocial
• lone-wolf
• uptight
• unadventurous
• uneasy
• inhibited
• self-conscious
• unenterprising

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• outgoing
• extroverted
• immodest
• social
• gregarious
• sociable
• convivial
• companionable
• forceful
• bold
• boon
• dashing
• uninhibited
• brash
• clubbable
• forward
• unreserved
• overbold

3

as in meek

not having or showing any feelings of superiority, self-assertiveness, or showiness

wore a very demure outfit to the interview for the job at the church's headquarters

Synonyms & Similar Words

• meek
• humble
• modest
• unassuming
• timid
• unaffected
• down-to-earth
• shy
• unpretentious
• naive
• lowly
• quiet
• simple
• subdued
• passive
• deferential
• unassertive
• submissive
• acquiescent
• compliant
• unaggressive
• bashful
• resigned
• reserved
• plain
• diffident
• sheepish
• ingenuous
• unobtrusive
• mousy
• yielding
• introverted
• shrinking
• retiring
• cowering
• self-effacing
• cringing
• self-deprecating
• aw-shucks
• self-deprecatory
• overmodest

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• haughty
• arrogant
• superior
• aggressive
• assertive
• supercilious
• pompous
• imperious
• pretentious
• impudent
• peremptory
• bold
• bumptious
• saucy
• presumptuous
• conceited
• cheeky
• brash
• brassy
• confident
• high-and-mighty
• uppity
• egotistic
• audacious
• lordly
• huffy
• uppish
• impertinent
• cocky
• chesty
• high-handed
• forward
• high-hat
• highfalutin
• overweening
• cocksure
• smug
• presuming
• overconfident
• narcissistic
• dominant
• self-assertive
• egocentric
• vain
• hubristic
• bombastic
• hoity-toity
• egoistic
• boastful
• prideful
• self-asserting
• showy
• domineering
• flamboyant
• huffish
• swaggering
• toplofty
• self-confident
• fastuous
• disdainful
• vainglorious
• overbearing
• condescending
• patronizing
• magisterial
• ostentatious
• dominating
• uninhibited
• self-centered
• outgoing
• self-satisfied
• self-complacent
• extroverted
• self-important
• immodest
• self-engrossed
• self-contented
• stuck-up
• self-congratulatory
• self-obsessed
• self-conceited
• unreserved
• self-affected
• self-pleased
• braggy
• swelled-headed
• pontificating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of demure

Cole, 30, offset her Elie Saab Haute Couture piece with a more demure look, opting for a pair of deep brown trousers with a matching suit jacket. — Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2026

While she’s been spotted with bolder manicures during her Life of a Showgirl era—from chunky French tips to an orange sparkling cinnamon set—this latest look is a bit more demure. — Grace McCarty, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2026

Mattieu Blazy's latest for the Parisian House is simultaneously demure and completely see-through in his couture debut. — Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 27 Jan. 2026

This sensibility is wonderfully demure (to use the mot du jour) and understated, letting the true star—the sweeping views of Portofino Bay, glimpsed through the doors to the balconies—really shine. — Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

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