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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.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 29 June 2025
  • The ominous, now classic two-note sequence is among American culture’s most recognizable tunes.
    Tracy Scott Forson, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • When the body of a young man is found eerily staged in the idyllic Scottish wilderness, detective Monica Kennedy fears this is just the beginning of a terrifying campaign that will strike the heart of a rural community.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
  • The terrifying moment that passengers were made to put on oxygen masks was captured on video.
    Latoya Gayle, People.com, 1 July 2025
Adjective
  • The Academy Award winner looks sinister and well-suited as a leader in some kind of underground workspace (one that resembles a NASA control room and the like).
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 27 June 2025
  • But those few seconds don’t erase all the fleeting, sinister impressions that came before — and that turn out not to have been fleeting, after all.
    Tom Gliatto, People.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • But Martone is one of the very best prospects in this draft and gives the Flyers size, high-end skill (he’s got plus traits as a shooter, handler and playmaker), and a formidable one-two punch at right wing with Matvei Michkov.
    Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 27 June 2025
  • The actress portrayed formidable sensei Kim Da-Eun on the Netflix series that ended in February after six seasons.
    Raechal Shewfelt, EW.com, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • If the sky becomes menacing and thunder becomes audible, seek out a safe place to seek shelter.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 1 July 2025
  • The real version of Dave is equal parts pitiful and menacing, seductive and unable to fully pass himself as a normal person.
    Alison Herman, Variety, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • To be able to say that so many writers have been meaningful to you is not a horrible thing.
    John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2025
  • If Flagg develops into the human triple double who leads the team to the Western Conference Finals and NBA Finals in his first six years, the trade can be called not a horrible deal.
    Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Rarely great, and consistently cringey in that NHL way we’re used to by now, but rarely terrible.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Even the ones that aren’t strictly evil in the biblical sense are often prone to doing terrible things.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Moreover, if their environment is unpredictable, frightening, or volatile, some children learn that any disagreement could lead to danger and try to bury their feelings to avoid conflict and maintain a sense of peace.
    Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 7 July 2025
  • The great outdoors can be a big and frightening place, especially for cats who have only seen it from the safety of the great indoors.
    Joan Morris, Mercury News, 7 July 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Direful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/direful. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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