1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
the stock market crash was the first direful indication of the dark days to come
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrifying
causing fear
heard the direful howling of the wolves during the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for direful
Adjective
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One prospect is as ominous as that of a government capturing its universities for political purposes — a government encouraging antisemitism under the guise of opposing it.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Jan. 2026 -
But experts warn that the Iranian regime has learned an ominous lesson.—
Ilan Berman,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Sets like Hobbiton and Rivendell (a home for some elves) are breathtaking, the makeup and prosthetics of the orcs still terrifying, and the costumes ethereal and otherworldly.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
-
And the monsters are truly terrifying.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The same sad and sinister menace occupying 1600 Penn.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
-
The character was previously only seen from behind or in close-ups of his hands petting his sinister white kitty.—
Sezin Devi Koehler,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Its Blackwell architecture sets the standard for raw performance, and its software ecosystem with CUDA remains a formidable competitive edge.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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But even a full-bodied brass section and some formidable multi-part harmonies can’t stop the song from fading into a 18-track lineup of anemic lounge-funk flips with near-uniform tempos.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Jan. 2026
-
Look to the upper region of the lunar crescent to find the menacing form of the Aristotles crater with its eastern rim bathed in impenetrable shadow.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Are there horrible smells wafting around?—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Jimmy Kimmel was horrible, and some of these people.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This gives you a terrible, crushing headache.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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Years later, a recluse with recurring nightmares, her terrible past resurfaces.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But that depiction was picked apart by a vast array of online onlookers, from law enforcement experts to ordinary Instagram users, some of whom replayed the videos frame by frame and zoomed in to show the episode in frightening detail.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
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The news this week that CPW employees are facing a variety of threats from radical elements in both groups of Coloradans strikes us as ironic sad — and frightening.—
The Denver Post Editorial Board,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Direful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direful. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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