1
as in ominous
being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come
a dire forecast of a plunge in stock prices
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in terrifying
causing fear
a series of dire tremors that hinted at a huge volcanic eruption
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
a dire need for food and medicine in the famine-stricken country
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in bleak
causing or marked by an atmosphere lacking in cheer
with stock prices steadily falling, these are dire days on the trading floor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dire
The dredges tend to stay on their own coast, except in rare cases of a dire need or emergency.
—
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Some coaches and players did not execute communication at a very dire point of the game.
—Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
With just 14 regular-season games remaining, however, their postseason odds have grown dire.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Oliver scrutinizes one dire situation after another, then says what the average person can do to address them.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Sep. 2025
Some coaches and players did not execute communication at a very dire point of the game.
—Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2025
With just 14 regular-season games remaining, however, their postseason odds have grown dire.
—Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Oliver scrutinizes one dire situation after another, then says what the average person can do to address them.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire
Adjective
-
Thoughts of all the beautiful, mundane, familiar things that make life so sweet had turned sour in my ominous fortune-telling.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Sep. 2025
-
If the sky turns ominous and thunder can be heard, find a secure place for shelter.—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
These shifting climates intimately shaped the biosphere over this span (and vice versa), and in occasional terrifying pulses, threatened to end it.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
-
That was a terrifying last four days.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Poland has said that Russian drones attempted to violate its airspace again, only days after another encroachment prompted Warsaw to call on NATO to hold urgent security talks.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
-
The need that fluoridated water was meant to address, critics say, isn’t as urgent.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Not all of Mythopedia is so bleak—just my favorite parts.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
When kittens Sam and Frodo were found, survival odds were bleak.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Football season has arrived, and so has a new horror movie produced by Jordan Peele that delves into the sinister side of the game.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
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Amelia Gray Hamlin Amelia Gray Hamlin partnered her black lace get-up with a sinister makeup look involving misty gray shadow.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Whether or not that path will continue to be forged without Kirk’s bravado and formidable presence, and who will officially take his place atop Turning Point remains unknown.—
Lily Mae Lazarus,
Fortune,
20 Sep. 2025
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The media giant also has announced plans to acquire most of Fubo and combine the pay-TV operator with Hulu + Live TV, creating a formidable sports-centric combination that critics and at least one shareholder have assailed as a potential monopoly.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Exposure to Cs-137 alone can cause burns, acute radiation sickness, cancer and death.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
22 Sep. 2025
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External exposure, however, can lead to burns, acute radiation, sickness and death, the CDC said.—
Adeola Adeosun,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the end, the depressing counter, which ended in the red, was pumped up by a pair of donations from Bargatze and CBS, bringing the end total to $350,000.—
Sandra Gonzalez,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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The amount of layoffs that would result from this merger is depressing to consider.—
Josef Adalian,
Vulture,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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