dire
Americanadjective
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causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible.
a dire calamity.
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indicating trouble, disaster, misfortune, or the like.
dire predictions about the stock market.
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urgent; desperate.
in dire need of food.
adjective
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Also: direful. disastrous; fearful
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desperate; urgent
a dire need
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foreboding disaster; ominous
a dire warning
Other Word Forms
- direly adverb
- direness noun
Etymology
Origin of dire
First recorded in 1560–70, dire is from the Latin word dīrus fearful, unlucky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
His statement came ahead of a Friday deadline for the company to get on board with the Pentagon’s demands or else face some pretty dire consequences.
Mamdani himself campaigned on boosting housing development as a way to address the city’s dire shortage of homes.
Oxfam, which has also seen some of its staff detained by the Houthis, is calling for enhanced global action to address the "dire and rapidly deteriorating" humanitarian needs in the north.
From BBC
Aston Martin are in such dire straits that there is a significant question mark about which of the two will be slowest in Melbourne.
From BBC
But even in dire circumstances, we can and should pursue happiness.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
