dire

[ dahyuhr ]

adjective

, dir·er, dir·est.

1. causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible:

   a dire calamity.

2. indicating trouble, disaster, misfortune, or the like:

   dire predictions about the stock market.

3. urgent; desperate:

   in dire need of food.

dire

/ daɪə /

adjective

1. Alsodireful disastrous; fearful
2. desperate; urgent

   a dire need

3. foreboding disaster; ominous

   a dire warning

Derived Forms

• ˈdireness, noun
• ˈdirely, adverb

Other Words From

• direly adverb
• direness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of dire¹

First recorded in 1560–70, dire is from the Latin word dīrus fearful, unlucky

Word History and Origins

Origin of dire¹

C16: from Latin dīrus ominous, fearful; related to Greek deos fear

Example Sentences

Without any access to supplies, conditions underground are said to be dire.

From BBC

His death is particularly difficult, Gyamfi said, because Brown had shown her he was persistently fighting to improve himself and, in the most dire of circumstances at times, to live.

From Los Angeles Times

When they realize that the man who opens the door isn’t what he seems — there is no Mrs. Reed, the front door is locked, the windows too small for egress — they do their best to play along and then, when things become more dire, to escape.

From Los Angeles Times

In his earlier writings, Ho cogently explained why the Constitution flatly forbids these dire consequences.

From Slate

The hosts and guests on the cable news networks — two in particular — looked sickened as 2016 repeated itself and they tried to convince themselves and the viewers that matters could not possibly be so dire and that somehow Harris was going to find a way to win.

From Salon

Related Words

• alarming
• appalling
• awful
• calamitous
• cataclysmic
• catastrophic
• depressing
• disastrous
• dismal
• distressing
• dreadful
• gloomy
• grim
• horrible
• lamentable
• shocking
• ugly
• unfortunate