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
Relevance
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
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
27 Apr. 2026 -
With the game tied and things looking ominous for the Galaxy, Elijah Wynder was held on a cross into the box.—
Damian Calhoun,
Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This isn’t the terrifying Frost of modernist criticism—although the poem is fully aware of darkness, and its world, on the cusp of World War I, like ours, certainly had its terrors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Most prior visits had morphed into extended trips into a terrifying medical underworld — to a purgatory known as emergency department boarding.—
Elisabeth Rosenthal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Chesnutt wasn’t alone in these sometimes sinister tones.—
David Harris,
SPIN,
21 Apr. 2026
-
But then that progressive veneer is implicated in something deeply sinister.—
Brittany Delay,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
There's also a perception that squishy invertebrates — creatures without backbones — weren't formidable enough to join the ranks of top predators.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Stretching up to 62 feet long, the ancient predator dwarfed modern giant squid and may have rivaled some of the most formidable hunters of the Cretaceous oceans.—
Ryan Brennan,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Idaho lawmakers spent hours debating a surge in rodents menacing Boise-area gardens and kitchens and threatening agriculture and public health.—
Karin Brulliard,
Washington Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Your cab driver is taking you on a horrible route.—
Zach Schiffman,
Curbed,
24 Apr. 2026
-
There’s enough cop shows, stories about how horrible the world is, enough plot lines that are similar to each other.—
Annika Pham,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If anything, great public pressure being brought to bear is a terrible reason to dispense with due-process protections designed to protect the legal rights of individuals, and crafting one exception would seem to create a precedent for crafting others.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Some members of Congress, along with airline CEOs and analysts, say the bailout would be a terrible idea.—
Donald Judd,
CNN Money,
23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Her Dispatch from the scene captured the moments of frightening confusion as high-ranking members of the government were whisked away from the Washington Hilton, where the event was held.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The ultimate scene packs a punch here — without spoiling things, Abigail Onwunali is particularly powerful in a role that Wilson saves till the eleventh hour, and Boone goes to places at once frightening and devastating.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Direful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direful. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
