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

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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 Three-quarters of the way through an all-in-all pretty thrilling Reacher season, a picaresque episode introduces still another villain and concludes on a particularly dire cliffhanger. — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026 War refugees, who had been crowding into the city for years, did not let Dresdeners forget the dire circumstances elsewhere in Germany. — Literary Hub, 31 Aug. 2026 Still, casinos are treating prediction sites like a dire threat because of what might come next. — Marshall Cohen, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026 However, the increasingly dire situation in DR Congo, combined with new research data has resulted in a change of plan. — Victoria Forster, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 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
  • On a narrative level, the whole mad scene seems to mirror the ominous final moments of the previous two Lioness missions.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In the younger woman’s presence, Rita finds that the ominous ticking clock in her mind goes silent.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of ominous
Adjective
  • In the supernatural horror film, a young man wishes for Nikki to love him more than anything, but the wish quickly takes a terrifying turn.
    — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Naomi Scott gives one of the best performances of 2024 as a pop star who becomes attached to the smile demon, sending her down a terrifying roller coaster to one of the most memorable horror-movie endings in years.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Adjective
  • But the issue of rising fuel costs is becoming an increasingly urgent one for the White House.
    — Rob Wile, NBC news, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The voices warning about the risks of artificial intelligence grow louder, more urgent and increasingly credible every day.
    — Henry M. Paulson Jr, Washington Post, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of urgent
Adjective
  • Using the pretense of a documentary film crew, the show follows the excruciatingly dull workday experiences of a paper supply company in a drab office in a bleak industrial estate in Slough, England.
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 Sep. 2026
  • India's quarterly economic growth has exceeded expectations several times over the past year, defying a bleak global trade environment, high energy prices and geopolitical uncertainties.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bleak
Adjective
  • Julia, on the other hand, is forced to return to Castle Leathers and face her sinister husband, Lord Lovat (Tony Curran), who still believes that Julia’s child is his own.
    — Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The longtime Adult Swim mischief-maker behind the viral hits ‘Too Many Cooks’ and ‘Yule Log’ specializes in hijacking familiar media formats, revealing the sinister anxieties beneath them.
    — Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of sinister
Adjective
  • Soldier Field and Wrigley Field will have formidable new competition.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Importantly, such research demonstrated the formidable risk associated with self-criticism for postpartum depression and anxiety, as well as for disruptions in mother-child communication, which might exacerbate postpartum psychopathology.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of formidable
Adjective
  • Latest analysis from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) projects that by the end of 2027, as many as 274 million people worldwide could face acute food insecurity—an increase of approximately 49 million from current levels.
    — , CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Her cause of death was reportedly cardiac arrest, with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and status asthmaticus, or severe asthma, listed as contributing conditions.
    — KiMi Robinson, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of acute
Adjective
  • Climate change, depressing and overwhelming, falls into that category.
    — Peter Prengaman, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Keegan’s first decision at Newcastle as manager in 1992 was to fumigate the depressing training ground.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 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 8 Sep. 2026.

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