MEANING
To hesitate to agree because of an objection or reservation.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- demur at a proposal
- politely demur
On the page
The steward demurred at the cost of the repairs.
When asked to sign, she politely demurred.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- demur
- Past tense
- demurred
- Past participle
- demurred
- Present participle
- demurring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- demur
- Present continuous
- am/is/are demurring
- Present perfect
- have/has demurred
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been demurring
- Past
- demurred
- Past continuous
- was/were demurring
- Past perfect
- had demurred
- Past perfect continuous
- had been demurring
- Future
- will demur
- Future continuous
- will be demurring
- Future perfect
- will have demurred
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been demurring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: literary. Forms: demur; demurs; demurred; demurred; demurring Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: demurs.
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