Looking stern, serious, and unfriendly; having a gloomy or forbidding appearance or attitude.
From Scottish/Northern English dialect, possibly from Middle English or Old Norse 'durr' meaning 'dull' or 'harsh,' though the exact origin is debated. The word has been used since at least the 1500s for severe or gloomy dispositions.
Scotland and its weather gave us the word 'dour'—Scottish people famously have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and their reputation for being stern and serious actually comes from dealing with one of Europe's harshest climates, which tends to make cultures more reserved.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.