DIRE Synonyms: 251 Similar and Opposite Words

dire

adjective

ˈdī(-ə)r

Definition of dire

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

as in terrifying

causing fear a series of dire tremors that hinted at a huge volcanic eruption

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in urgent

needing immediate attention a dire need for food and medicine in the famine-stricken country

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of dire Is living your life from behind a curtain of smoke, particularly in a modern world this dire, really a bad thing? — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Perhaps the threat wasn’t quite so dire, or its parameters were not well-enough defined, and the Secret Service acted out of a superabundance of caution. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 12 Aug. 2026 Agnez Mo as Lila Hoth Indonesian musician Agnez Mo stars as Lila Hoth, a woman who claims that Anna was helping her out with a dire personal matter. — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026 Campbell, who represents Mission Beach, said the closures highlight San Diego’s dire need for more revenue to cover the city’s growing expenses. — David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dire

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dire

Adjective

Once there, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf watch as the butterfly approaches the outstretched hand of a woman whose face is obscured, before the ominous presence crushes it in her hands.

— Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026
These fears, while unfounded, were indicative of something much worse—and marked a new, ominous chapter in the whale’s evolving symbolic import.

— Naomi Skwarna, hazlitt.net, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of ominous

Adjective

Practicing isolating these muscles and squeezing them when not in urgent need of a bathroom can help in the longer term when dealing with the need to go to the bathroom without a toilet readily available.

— Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Aug. 2026
The grand jury believed that LINXS took advantage of the urgent need to get the project done for high profile sporting events as a way to leverage change order demands.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of urgent

Adjective

When his girlfriend, Nicki (Debbie Harry), disappears at an audition for the show, he is drawn even deeper into its sinister world.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Jordan Roth plays Bentley’s somewhat sinister, sometimes helpful right hand kitted out post-glam Bowie style.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of sinister

Adjective

Miami entered the game riding a seven-match unbeaten streak in league play and leading MLS with 45 goals, but facing a formidable foe in Nashville.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of formidable

Adjective

Prior to that show, Stewart, who has a history of thyroid cancer surgery, canceled and postponed concert stops in June following a diagnosis of acute upper respiratory infection, laryngitis and vocal fold strain.

— Ilana Kaplan, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026
Davis said the pain from her condition can be acute at times, while standing and walking is not always easy.

— Jake Kanter, Deadline, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of acute

Adjective

The simple, rather depressing, and completely overwhelming fact of the matter is that the Marvel Cinematic Universe cannot be ignored, even as superhero fatigue has definitively set in at the global box office.

— David Sims, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
The glow through the translucent stone façade prevents that journey from being downright depressing.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 29 July 2026

Definition of depressing

Browse Nearby Words

diptychs

dire

direct

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Dire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dire. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dire

adjective

Example Sentences

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