dire

About 3.14 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous.

   dire omens

2. adjective Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing.

   dire need (of)

3. adjective Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal.

   dire consequences; to be in dire straits

4. adjective Bad in quality, awful, terrible.

   His dire blunder allowed her to checkmate him with her next move.

5. adjective Ferocious and of intimidating appearance, like a dire wolf.

Similar words

awful horrendous dreadful terrible horrific direful desperate dread dreaded fearsome

Often followed by

consequences need que straits necessity poverty predictions warnings and

Word family

direly direness direnesses direr direst