dire

adjective

ˈdī(-ə)r How to pronounce dire (audio)
Definition of direnext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dire Some older residents have been unwilling to leave their homes despite the dire humanitarian and security situation. — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026 If non-tech companies pull back on AI, the consequences for firms such as Anthropic could be dire. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026 With Chromebooks in dire need of a refresh, Google drew on many inspirations to create Googlebooks, the most prominent being the Android mobile operating system and Apple's approach to laptop design. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 Ahead of a critical divisional matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, the need to correct the problems sooner rather than later has become dire after a 2-4 start. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire
  1. ominous
  2. terrifying
  3. urgent
  4. bleak
  5. sinister
  6. formidable
  7. acute
  8. depressing
Adjective
  • The film fairly vibrates with ominous tension even in scenes in which seemingly nothing happens.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The horror movie takes place in Vision’s mind-mansion, which Butcherbird has filled with red light, dark shadows, and ominous imagery.
    — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • Robertson and Sepulveda play two friends who travel to a remote Italian village to settle a family estate, where their trip spirals into a deadly game of deception at the hands of a charming hunter with a terrifying secret (Armitage).
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In the last two minutes of the flight, Filgueiras shifted from calmly communicating with air traffic controllers to calling out terrifying updates as the plane plummeted.
    — Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • Hollywood largely stayed out of the fight despite what appears to be an increasingly urgent situation emerging in which workers across the industry are failing to qualify for union health insurance plans.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 4 Nov. 2026
  • With Anthropic expected to IPO sooner than later, an event that could tip the rest of the stock market into a tailspin, the question of how to cover this world without becoming an accessory to its interests feels ever more urgent.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of urgent
Adjective
  • Under Sorrells, morale at the office is bleak and has resulted in an exodus, according to two veteran prosecutors who left the office and spoke on the condition they not be identified.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Yet missing from this bleak picture are the ways that Ukraine has already adapted to escalating attacks.
    — Tatiana Mitrova, Foreign Affairs, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • The Democrat’s disposition as a love-thy-trans-neighbor seminarian is a cover for something far more sinister, the argument goes.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
  • The sinister presence torments the family, and when their two-year-old suddenly vanishes, fear spirals into hysteria and paranoia as the family confronts a terrifying force that has turned their connected world against them.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • Oscar winners Vasarahelyi and Chin’s original intent was to document the quest of Morrison and his life partner, elite ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, to summit the dangerous north face of Everest and ski down the formidable Hornbein Couloir.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Remarkably, he’s accomplished this feat while using a 400-pound power wheelchair — navigating not just the globe but formidable accessibility barriers.
    — Sandee LaMotte, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • The track’s watery percussion and acute synth stabs carry all the implication of a dancefloor, even without a beat.
    — Shaad D’Souza, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Chronic diastolic congestive heart failure was an underlying cause, and acute renal failure was also listed as a significant contributing condition.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of acute
Adjective
  • The Ruhr Valley, in contrast, might be Europe’s vastest, most depressing suburb.
    — Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026
  • The Mongolian restaurant is in the city center, dingy and depressing.
    — Aube Rey Lescure, Longreads, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of depressing

Browse Nearby Words

diptychs
dire
direct
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Cite this Entry

“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

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