dure

D2U1R1E1
UK/djʊə/UK/dʒʊə/

verb

To last, continue, endure.

OriginMiddle English duren ← Old French durer ← Latin dūrō, dūrāre →
UncommonScrabble 5
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Meanings

dure1

verbdure (third-person singular simple present dures, present participle during, simple past and past participle dured)

present singular third person dures · participle present during · participle past dured · past dured

  1. archaicintransitiveTo last, continue, endure.

    Soo on a tyme he told kynge Arthur that he sholde not dure longe […]

    1485, Sir Thomas Malory, “primum”, in Le Morte Darthur, book IV
    1 more example

    But he that was ſowne in the ſtony grũde ys he / which heareth the worde of God / and anon with ioye receaveth itt / yet hath he no rottꝭ in him ſelfe / And therefore he dureth but a ſeaſon[…].

    1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew xiij:[23], folio xviij, recto

dure2

adjectivedure (comparative more dure, superlative most dure)

comparative more dure · superlative most dure

  1. archaichard; harsh; severe; rough

    The winter is severe, and life is dure and rude.

    1861, William Howard Russell, Leicester Chronicle

Origin

dure · verb

  1. Latindūrō, dūrāre
  2. Old Frenchdurer
  3. Middle Englishduren“to last”
  4. Englishdure

From Middle English duren (“to last”), from Old French durer, from Latin dūrō, dūrāre. Related to Dutch duren (“to last, dure”), German dauern (“to last, dure”). Doublet of endure.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

dure · adjective

  1. Latindūrus
  2. Englishdure

From Latin dūrus. Doublet of dour.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech trvat
  • trvatto last, continue, endure
Dutch duren
  • durento last, continue, endure
Finnish kestää
  • kestääto last, continue, endure
German dauern
  • dauernto last, continue, endure

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with dure

yoursuretourmaturesecureensurepoorpureMoorebrochurecureassureentrepreneurinsureunsureobscurecouturelureendureDarfurmanureinsecuremoormuir
All rhymes →

Anagrams

rudeDuer
Cite this entry
APA

dure. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dure

MLA

“dure.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dure. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dure,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dure.

Source: dure on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.