1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a dire forecast of a plunge in stock prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrifying
causing fear
a series of dire tremors that hinted at a huge volcanic eruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
a dire need for food and medicine in the famine-stricken country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
with stock prices steadily falling, these are dire days on the trading floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dire
And people wrote letters to the courts saying wage garnishment would exacerbate their already dire financial situations.
—
Rae Ellen Bichell, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
The situation in Smiths Land is so dire at the moment that Morrissey recently proposed selling his share in the band.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Also in March — to a rising din of dire prognostications about De Luca and Abdy’s tenure as co-chairpersons/chief executives — Warner punted the release of One Battle After Another (from the financial doldrums of August into its current date smack in the middle of the awards-season scrum).
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Without intervention, Tennessee's backlog of forensic evidence testing is likely to only get more dire, according to a new report by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Rae Ellen Bichell, Fortune, 29 Sep. 2025
The situation in Smiths Land is so dire at the moment that Morrissey recently proposed selling his share in the band.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2025
Also in March — to a rising din of dire prognostications about De Luca and Abdy’s tenure as co-chairpersons/chief executives — Warner punted the release of One Battle After Another (from the financial doldrums of August into its current date smack in the middle of the awards-season scrum).
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025
Without intervention, Tennessee's backlog of forensic evidence testing is likely to only get more dire, according to a new report by the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.
—Kirsten Fiscus, Nashville Tennessean, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire
Adjective
-
Lately, some employees are noticing an ominous trend in their career trajectories.—
Sophie Caldwell,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The Giants tanked immediately after acquiring a high-profile superstar with a nine-figure contract, which was inexplicable, unexpected and ominous.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The device sounded terrifying – an apparently new, nuclear capable IRBM, fired with multiple conventional warheads, that the Kremlin boasted could rip through European defenses.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
-
He’s supposed to be a terrifying mirror to our discontent.—
Emily Temple
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Those lessons are more urgent than ever, as AI takes over tasks but leaves us with the harder, more important work – deciding, judging, being accountable.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Continue reading … DIGITAL DARKNESS – Taliban plunges Afghanistan into darkness as UN issues urgent warning.—
,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While there is still a chance that Sanders and Colorado can turn things around, the rest of the season is looking bleak.—
Evan Massey,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
-
From a bleak job hunt upon her arrival in 2016 to undergoing treatment for her second bout with breast cancer during the uncertainty and fear of COVID, Davis recalls her journey through raw vulnerability and splashes of humor.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Is their entire a life a facade for something more sinister?—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Drawn in by her fortune and allure, Calvin accepts an invitation aboard her superyacht Eternity, only to realize her glamorous world hides sinister secrets.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
If the past offers any guide, however, Havana will instead continue to rely on its formidable security apparatus to repress is citizens, while privatizing in ways that do not threaten the power and privileges of the elite.—
Joseph J. Gonzalez,
The Conversation,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The West will be formidable, as multiple teams could make their mark this season.—
Ricardo Klein,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The recent exodus represents an acute brain drain.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
Concerns and anxieties are particularly acute for researchers with ties to China, the country that has long sent more science and engineering PhD students to the US than any other.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Coordinating your exhales with the pressing, depressing, pulling and lifting phases of these exercises enhances activation of the scapular stabilizing muscles and reinforces proper rib cage alignment.—
Dana Santas,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Closing The Gap The racial wealth gap in America remains depressing, and homeownership is one of the clearest indicators of it.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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