Word Finder - dire

definition

Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous.

example

dire omens

definition

Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing.

example

dire need

definition

Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal

example

dire consequences;  to be in dire straits

synonyms

• horrible
• lamentable
• terrible

definition

Bad in quality, awful, terrible.

His childhood was passed in dire poverty.

I've heard of wolves morphing in dire situations, but always thought they were just stories.

He shook himself mentally to refocus on the dire circumstances before him but was unable to force the thought of Kiera from his mind.

It shows me you have some inkling of the importance of this gift you possess and the dire consequences of it falling into the wrong hands.

It is of dire importance.

The Delians, suffering a dire pestilence, consulted their oracles, and were ordered to double the volume of the altar to their tutelary god, Apollo.

Martha didn't ask for details, nor did the Deans offer any beyond dire cautionary warnings of childhood dangers.

Julie oversteps the mark - with dire results for Gaby.

You must indeed be in dire financial straits at the moment.

Read all top rated reviews... absolutely dire, a huge disappointment.

The first visit was so dire, I was compelled to write and complain.

At present there is a dire shortage with approximately one interpreter to every thousand BSL users.

At the time, Yellowhammers were in dire straights in the Province and were already absent from two Counties.

My time of the month has passed without its usual affliction and I am dire fearful of the consequences of why this might be so.

He was uneasy—the kid being dropped off at the hospital for a tonsil operation, hearing about the ice cream but now realiz­ing something dire might be in store before dessert.

Benefit cuts have already had dire consequences for large numbers of people with HIV.

The Cameroons are already bad-mouthing the truculent local party for conducting a dire campaign.

To him the Reform Bill came as a dire calamity, and the repeal of the Corn Laws was an unpardonable atrocity.

Consequently we busily create ominous circumstances which could make the 21st century even more dire than the 20th century.

Most of us, when in some direction we think ourselves to be strong, are in dire peril of collapse.

Sadly Hiding Place were pretty dire to say the least, there was nothing good about them at all.

How then do we address such potentially dire threats of genetic engineering?

The rest of the first half was fairly dire.

From the point of view of one of the trainers, the situation is getting dire indeed.

What can you say to a Philistine who's into Phil Collins and Dire Straits and other such frivolity?

Find out more at Geoff Stray's interesting site, with its dire gnosis...

The government's record on savings incentives is anyway dire.

You will also feel constant indignation at the dire shortage of confectionery.

When the husband Mehmet returned from military service he is said to have threatened dire action to avenge the insult to his wife.

Swansea had threatened little in a dire first-half showing and they were glad to hear the interval whistle giving them the opportunity to regroup.

We're in such dire straits in every age group.

The greed and tyranny of several of the commissioners, and the bigotry and mismanagement of well-meaning fanatics such as Cradock and Powell, soon wrought dire confusion throughout the whole Principality, so that a monster petition, signed alike by moderate Puritans and by High Churchmen, was prepared for presentation to parliament in 1652 by Colonel Edward Freeman, attorney-general for South Wales.

While a debt management plan is a useful tool for individuals who find themselves in dire financial straits, it is important to note that it should be a last resort.

This scenario may seem dramatic, but parvo is a very dramatic illness that carries dire consequences, so be proactive and have your dog vaccinated.

During 2008, the total number of members saved from these dire emergency situations was 19,490.

The microwave is a great invention, since it heats and cooks food in minutes and knowing how to repair a microwave when you're in dire need will help with easy issues that arise.

Many doctors suggest that a patient (who is not in dire need of medication) attempt to control their diabetes with diet and exercise before moving on the medications.

The health risks in a deficiency situation may not be as dire as other nutrients, but they're serious enough.

Few of the dire illnesses doctors blamed on corsets through the ages proved to be correct.

Dire Straits is probably one of the most well known bands in the genre of blues style rock music.

Impressive guitar riffs, excellent drum and bass sounds and thoughtful lyrics have pushed Dire Straits into that private and not easily reachable category of timeless music, with their works often looked to as examples or for inspiration.

Guitarists Mark Knopfler (born in Scotland) and his brother David joined bassist John Illsley and drummer Pick Withers to form Dire Straits, named so because of their almost constant financial situation, in Deptford, England (UK) in 1977.

From this time on, Dire Straits would experience a number of musician changes, with leader Mark and bassist John being the only 'regular' members of the band.

At one point, one in ten British households contained a copy of 'Brothers In Arms', released in 1985, which was undoubtedly Dire Straits' best album.

Although unsubstantiated, Mark's release of solo album 'Golden Heart' in 1996 indicated the end of Dire Straits.

Episodes focus on families in dire straits or who have been victims of natural disasters, such as the 5th season of the show which helped out families affected by Hurricane Katrina.

Usually someone votes for a friend for family member who is in dire need of a wardrobe upgrade.

This in conjunction with the emerging foreign opencast mining, reduced the price of tin put the Cornish mining industry under dire financial pressure.

I had done that by the impulse of dire necessity, which I ought to have done at first of my own free will.

What else can he do in his dire predicament?