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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
a dire need for food and medicine in the famine-stricken country
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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
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of dire
Corn and sugar farmers were in dire financial straits, too.
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Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 10 Jan. 2025
Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion.
—Reuters, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
The dire display in the 1-0 defeat away to Bournemouth, where Everton barely laid a glove on their opponents and their limitations were laid bare, saw any remaining support for Dyche from the fanbase wilt away.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
This week’s dire weather forecasts, and public safety warnings, are filled with some unfamiliar terms and abbreviations.
—Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dire 
Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 10 Jan. 2025
Lebanon, its economy still reeling from a devastating financial collapse in 2019, is in dire need of international support to rebuild from the war, which the World Bank estimates cost the country $8.5 billion.
—Reuters, NBC News, 9 Jan. 2025
The dire display in the 1-0 defeat away to Bournemouth, where Everton barely laid a glove on their opponents and their limitations were laid bare, saw any remaining support for Dyche from the fanbase wilt away.
—Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
This week’s dire weather forecasts, and public safety warnings, are filled with some unfamiliar terms and abbreviations.
—Gary Robbins, The Mercury News, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for dire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire
Adjective
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Facebook’s recent announcement to stop fact-checking posts is an ominous signal.Rhea Wessel, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
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Something ominous, if not entirely novel, is taking shape in Washington.David Remnick, The New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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What’s more terrifying than losing control of your physical and mental self as your most primal, animalistic instincts take the wheel?David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Jan. 2025
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The stability and flexibility around Josh Allen makes for a terrifying formula.Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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No one buys solar systems to address an urgent need.Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
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Piper Sandler upgrades Douglas Emmett to overweight from neutral The firm thinks the real estate investment trust may benefit from the wildfire damage with an urgent need for office space.Michael Bloom, CNBC, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But beneath Pansy’s rage, often a source of that specific, bleak brand of Mike Leigh comedy, lies severe OCD, anxiety, depression, and the grief of having recently lost her mother.Radhika Seth, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
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While the art world has felt bleak amid a buckling market, a new art fair is gracing Los Angeles this year.Francesca Aton, ARTnews.com, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Feathers tends to wear cutesy disguises, but comes across as a surprisingly sinister creature who is always observing.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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Now the star and filmmaker are trading Wakanda and the boxing ring for an original vision: a Depression-era vampire movie about twin brothers (Jordan plays both) who return to their Deep South hometown, only to find something sinister waiting.A.A. Dowd, Vulture, 6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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So the panel is top tier and should be a formidable alternative to the QD-OLED display used in Samsung’s respective 2025 flagship, the S95F. OLED TVs just keep getting brighter, more vivid, and dazzling — and consumers really can’t go wrong with any of them.Chris Welch, The Verge, 10 Jan. 2025
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Someone, anyone, needs to step up and take the reins here, as the Flyers have looked formidable otherwise.Dom Luszczyszyn, The Athletic, 10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But these apps’ ascendance does reveal an acute desire from Americans to find their next social media destination; their general wariness about TikTok’s top American competitors; and their discontent with a ban that many see as paternalistic.Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 14 Jan. 2025
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But, much to the surprise of analysts, society has stoically tolerated an acute recession, a substantial jump in poverty, and a weakening labor market.Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The depressing part is that the smear campaign worked.Nicole Page, IndieWire, 6 Jan. 2025
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In October, Lilium was scrambling for additional investments to keep the doors open and by late December the company announced that the only people still on the payroll would be handling the depressing job of liquidation.David Szondy, New Atlas, 5 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near dire
Cite this Entry
“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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