ˈdī(ə)r, -īə adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Latin dirus; akin to Greek dedienai to fear, deos fear, deinos terrible, Avestan dvaēthā threat, Sanskrit dveṣṭi he hates
1.
a. : exciting horror or terror especially because of the great suffering or loss or devastating ruin actually caused or only threatened
the dire days of bombing raids
if South America were to seek her imports elsewhere, it would be a dire blow to us — Gustave Weigel
the dire fate which the Lord had seen fit to visit upon her sinful employers — W.H.Wright
b. : inducing mental suffering or depression by reason of concern with a dreaded eventuality or a grievous circumstance : afflictive , painful
palsied by the dire news of the president's death
c. : oppressive to the feelings or spirit : dismal , cheerless
the heavy drag of winter is then at its most dire — F.M.Ford
despite its dire point of view, the book jests and jostles with life — Time
2. : warning of disaster to come : ominous , sinister
in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease proposals to substitute vaccination for eradication evoked dire forecasts
3.
a. : demanding immediate action to fend off disastrous consequences : exigent , urgent
spokesmen talked about the dire need for school buildings, which had been at least equally dire during the previous two years — W.L.Miller
this was due to dire necessities elsewhere and not to direct intent or indifference — Herbert Feis
b. : close to the utmost limit of sufferance : most acute : extreme , desperate
scope is left for instantaneous action, but only in the direst emergency — A.P.Ryan
while their means were always modest there was no trace of dire poverty — J.T.Ellis
left his family in dire financial straits
Synonyms: see fearful