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Dour vs Surly - What's the difference?

dour | surly |

As adjectives the difference between dour and surly

is that dour is stern, harsh and forbidding while surly is (obsolete) lordly, arrogant, supercilious.

As an adverb surly is

(obsolete) in an arrogant or supercilious manner.

dour

English

Adjective

(en-adj)
  • Stern, harsh and forbidding.
  • Unyielding and obstinate.
  • Expressing gloom or melancholy; sullenly unhappy.

    • Synonyms

    * forbidding, harsh, severe, stern * (unyielding) obstinate, stubborn, unyielding * (expressing gloom) dejected, gloomy, melancholic, sullen

    Derived terms

    * dourly * dourness

    surly

    English

    Adjective

    (er)
  • (obsolete) Lordly, arrogant, supercilious.
  • Irritated, bad-tempered, unfriendly.
  • Threatening, menacing, gloomy.
    • The surly weather put us all in a bad mood.

    Adverb

    (er)
  • (obsolete) In an arrogant or supercilious manner.
  • * 1623 , , Julius Caesar , I.iii,
    • Against the Capitol I met a lion / Who glazed upon me, and went surly