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dire

dire

 
 
pronunciation:
daIr
part of speech: adjective
inflections: direr, direst
definition 1: causing, likely to cause, or involving terror or suffering.
She knew that getting caught would have dire consequences.The fire was a dire event for the families who lost their homes.
synonyms:
dreadful, fearful, frightful, horrible, terrible
similar words:
atrocious, awful, dread, ghastly, grim, horrid
definition 2: terrible or urgent.
After the earthquake, many people were in dire need of medical care.
synonyms:
critical, desperate, extreme, severe, terrible
similar words:
dangerous, fearful, grave, urgent, vital
derivations: direly (adv.), direness (n.)