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
But the economic situation is still dire.
—
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
The music is fittingly unsettled and often quite dire.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
By the mid-1920s, political violence had ebbed, as pro-republican political leaders got a handle on the country’s dire economic condition and joined hands in condemning acts of violence.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
This dire situation is not an incidental byproduct of the fighting, but a direct consequence of Israeli policies and tactics.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Agustina Vergara Cid, Oc Register, 25 Oct. 2025
The music is fittingly unsettled and often quite dire.
—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025
By the mid-1920s, political violence had ebbed, as pro-republican political leaders got a handle on the country’s dire economic condition and joined hands in condemning acts of violence.
—Time, 23 Oct. 2025
This dire situation is not an incidental byproduct of the fighting, but a direct consequence of Israeli policies and tactics.
—Jeremy Konyndyk, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire
Adjective
-
Though conventional in its concept (family moves into house, spirits possess family, paranormal investigators exorcize spirits), the movie's significance comes from its execution, which electrified audiences with ominous clapping hands and expert control of tension.—
Michael Lee Simpson,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Oct. 2025
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Unwisely agreeing to go for a spin, Tony finds they’re soon tailed by an ominous black SUV.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Kim's direction is bold and stylish, and the supernatural scenes are terrifying, embodying the finest that Korean horror has to offer.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 Oct. 2025
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By the time it was all set up, the whole cold, disintegrating place was threaded with lights and lines, flickering everywhere, black and red, the sheer quantity somehow terrifying and embracing at once.—
Blair Braverman,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The plot unfolds at the urgent but erratic pace of a life-altering business deal, as Bonitzer unfussily steers us through a series of small rooms as people scramble to determine the proper thing to do with Schiele’s painting.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
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To Trump, of course, gutting the Civil Rights Act is likely to be a point of pride, enabling the government to focus on more urgent matters, such as protecting white students from the purportedly harmful effects of diversity-equity-and-inclusion programs.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While the eradication of our species might sound like a bleak ending note, Lanthimos tells EW that audiences are divided on whether the film presents a hopeful or pessimistic view of the future.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Duffy painted a bleak scene at airports if the shutdown is not ended before Thanksgiving travel.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Their double life soon gets complicated when a rival boy band harboring a sinister secret begins stealing their fans.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Candyman, the Candyman franchise (1992–1999; 2021) Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen) finds out that adoration and horror don't mix when she is faced with the attachment of the sinister Candyman (Tony Todd) in the 1992 film classic.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Mesidor has formed a formidable one-two punch on the Hurricanes’ defensive line with Rueben Bain Jr.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Jazz In recent years, the pianist Vijay Iyer and the drummer Tyshawn Sorey, defining composers and leaders of contemporary jazz, have become one of its most formidable pairings.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But the interest in the East Wing demolition had been acute enough that a local-news outlet had identified one of the East Wing dump sites—an industrial park in Hyattsville, Maryland.—
Nancy Walecki,
The Atlantic,
25 Oct. 2025
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The impact is already being felt in the world’s largest refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where UNICEF reports an alarming 11% rise in the number of children with acute malnutrition between January and September this year.—
Rebecca Wright,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Soon, the entire room was awash with clippings, each detailing a different duplicitous scheme — a depressing reflection of how scam culture was taking over my country, eroding our trust in each other.—
Snigdha Poonam,
The Dial,
28 Oct. 2025
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Welcome to the most depressing engagement party of the century.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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