i Register
In some senses, dire is marked as informal. Watch for register when choosing this word.
dire
/ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/
adj 5name 1
Collocations
5ADJ.
befallen
VERB + DIRE
became, begin, called, seen, speak
DIRE + NOUN
money, necessity, predictions, prognosis, situation, straights, straits, tragedy
PREP.
during, in
ADV.
ever, seriously
Definitions
adj
1
Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous.
dire omens
2
Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing.
dire need (of)
One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains.[…]But out of sight is out of mind. And that, together with the inherent yuckiness of the subject, means that many old sewers have been neglected and are in dire need of repair.
3
Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal.
dire consequences; to be in dire straits
Cristiana Paşca Palmer, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said the destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest was a grim reminder that a fresh approach needed to stabilise the climate and prevent ecosystems from declining to a point of no return, with dire consequences for humanity.
4
Bad in quality, awful, terrible.
His dire blunder allowed her to checkmate him with her next move.
And, of course, overlooking 1 ... Q-R8 mate, would be a dire mistake.
5
Ferocious and of intimidating appearance, like a dire wolf.
name
1
A surname.
Thesaurus
Idioms & Phrases
Example Bank
601
dire omens
Wiktionary02
dire need (of)
Wiktionary03
One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains.[…]But out of sight is out of mind. And that, together with the inherent yuckiness of the subject, means that many old sewers have b
Wiktionary04
You're always there for me, so if you're ever in dire straits, just let me know and I'll come running.
Tatoeba · #6612605
The economy is in dire need of a jump-start.
Tatoeba · #23799506
Exporters are in dire straights.
Tatoeba · #367998Usage Notes
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