dire
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- disastrous, awful, calamitous, catastrophic, horrible, ruinous, terrible, woeful
- desperate, critical, crucial, drastic, extreme, now or never, pressing, urgent
- grim, dismal, dreadful, fearful, gloomy, ominous, portentous

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Related Words: depressing, oppressing

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

dire /daɪə $ daɪr/ adjective
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: dirus]

1. extremely serious or terrible:
warnings of dire consequences that often don’t come true
The country is in dire need of food aid.
The situation looked dire.

2. be in dire straits to be in an extremely difficult or serious situation:
Everyone agrees the sport is in dire straits.

3. dire warning/prediction/forecast a warning about something terrible that will happen in the future:
Last night there were dire warnings of civil war.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲