demure

Etymology

From Middle English demure, demwre, of uncertain formation, but probably from Old French meur (Modern French mûr) from Latin mātūrus. The "de-" is "of", as in "of maturity".

adj

1. (usually of women) Quiet, modest, reserved, sober, or serious.
   She is a demure young lady.
   Nan was very much delighted in her demure way, and that delight showed itself in her face and in her clear bright eyes. 1881, William Black, The Beautiful Wretch
   I was coming back from the ladies' room when I saw her. She looked demure. Oval wire-rimmed glasses. A sky blue jacket buttoned over a long black-and-white flowered shirt. 2005, Maureen Dowd, Are Men Necessary?, page 311
   [H]owever hard she pushed the tough-talkin' shtick, she remained doe-eyed, glowing and somehow unassailably demure. 21 January 2014, Hermione Hoby, “Julia Roberts interview for August: Osage County – 'I might actually go to hell for this …'”, in The Daily Telegraph
   And in their daily lives, girls and women are pushed to conform to fairly narrow templates of behavior as demure or delicate. 2021-06-30, Motoko Rich, Hikari Hida, “Expected to Be Demure, Japan’s Girls Face Steep Hurdles to Athletic Dreams”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
2. Affectedly modest, decorous, or serious; making a show of gravity.
   Miss Lizzy, I have no doubt, would be as demure and coquettish, as if ten winters more had gone over her head. c. 1824, Mary Russell Mitford, Walks in the Country

verb

1. (obsolete) To look demurely.