demure

Years ago, the shy, demure White House chief of staff suggested to President Obama that America “should never let a good crisis go to waste.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

Even before her husband’s death and her takeover as CEO of TPUSA, she was a highly-educated career woman only playing at being the demure housewife for his audiences.

From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026

Others opt for the registry office and a demure lunch with close friends, and prefer to save their money for a house.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 25, 2025

The garment’s austere black and silver palette projects a demure yet powerful mix of luxury and restraint.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2024

If you were creating a graphic dictionary and needed a definition of demure, you would use her expression in this picture.

From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben

She bowed to him, and passed on in her grave and stately manner: more calmly observant, demurer eyes were not in the Park.

From Sunrise by Black, William

Cicely, six months younger, was much more quiet and steady on the surface, though her twinkling brown eyes belied her demurer manners, and proclaimed her ready for anything in the shape of fun.

From The Manor House School by Dixon, Arthur A.

And you have seen a cat conscious of approaching cream: such was Miss Haythorn; she became demurer and demurer.

From Stories by English Authors: England by Hardy, Thomas

Of course, if they be still exuberant, they may show it, and stamp their lustiest; still a demurer step will usually suggest itself as the more appropriate.

From The Morris Book, Part 1 A History of Morris Dancing, With a Description of Eleven Dances as Performed by the Morris-Men of England by Sharp, Cecil J.

Gwendolyn was the demurest of the demure, letting her eyes fall beneath their pendant black lashes at the conclusion of each answer, and won her case without the slightest difficulty.

From Courts and Criminals by Train, Arthur Cheney

It was all over at last, and Gabriel found himself seated in the carriage, side by side with the demurest and the quietest young lady he had ever seen.

From Gabriel Tolliver A Story of Reconstruction by Harris, Joel Chandler

The Comtesse de Cassault was a beautiful person, a flirt of the demurest kind.

From Despair's Last Journey by Murray, David Christie

Even the demurest little maiden cherishes the hope that some fate may send her to the battle-field, or that in some way she may be permitted to serve her country.

From The Lady of the Decoration by Little, Frances, [pseud.]

Fair she is, as other damsels: but for what the simplest swain Claims from the demurest maiden, I must sue and sue in vain.

From Theocritus, translated into English Verse by Theocritus