The meaning of Dire

adjective

Worrying or disturbing.

Usage examples:

Our countryside is disappearing at an alarming rate

verb

Make (someone) feel frightened, disturbed, or in danger.

adjective

Causing shock or dismay; horrific.

Usage examples:

The cat suffered appalling injuries during the attack

verb

Greatly dismay or horrify.

Usage examples:

Bankers are appalled at the economic incompetence of some ministers

adjective

Horrifyingly wicked.

Usage examples:

Atrocious cruelties

adjective

Very bad or unpleasant.

Usage examples:

The place smelled awful

adverb

Awfully; very.

Usage examples:

We're an awful long way from the motorway

adjective

Involving calamity; catastrophic or disastrous.

Usage examples:

Such calamitous events as fires, hurricanes, and floods

adjective

Causing great damage.

Usage examples:

A disastrous fire swept through the museum

adjective

Causing great harm, damage, or suffering

Usage examples:

It was a disastrous mistake which he lived to regret., in 1837, there was a disastrous smallpox epi…

adjective

Causing anxiety, sorrow or pain; upsetting.

Usage examples:

Some very distressing news

verb

Cause (someone) anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

Usage examples:

I didn't mean to distress you

adjective

Upsetting or worrying

Usage examples:

The news reports about the famine were very distressing., it was deeply distressing for him to see …

adjective

Causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

There's been a dreadful accident

adjective

Very bad

Usage examples:

I realized i had committed a dreadful mistake.

adjective

Very unpleasant, serious, or shocking.

Usage examples:

There's been a most frightful accident

noun

A hole dug in the ground to receive a coffin or dead body, typically marked by a stone or mound.

Usage examples:

The coffin was lowered into the grave

adjective

Giving cause for alarm; serious.

Usage examples:

A matter of grave concern

noun

Another term for grave accent.

adjective

(of something bad) very severe or serious.

Usage examples:

His death was a grievous blow

adjective

Having very serious effects or causing great pain

Usage examples:

It was a grievous head wound, and he was not expected to survive., he was grievously injured.

adjective

Very serious or gloomy.

Usage examples:

His grim expression

adjective

Not good; having no chance of a good result

Usage examples:

The outlook for a full recovery was grim., the future looks grim for workers who are losing their j…

adjective

Acutely distressing.

Usage examples:

A harrowing film about racism and violence

verb

Draw a harrow over (land).

Usage examples:

They ploughed and harrowed the heavy clay

adjective

Extremely upsetting because connected with suffering

Usage examples:

His book tells the harrowing story of how they climbed mt. everest.

adjective

Causing or likely to cause horror; shocking.

Usage examples:

A horrible massacre

adjective

Very bad, unpleasant, or disgusting

Usage examples:

There was a horrible smell outside the factory.

adjective

Shockingly bad or excessive.

Usage examples:

An outrageous act of bribery

adjective

Disastrous or destructive.

Usage examples:

A ruinous effect on the environment

adjective

Demanding or characterized by careful consideration or application.

Usage examples:

Marriage is a serious matter

adjective

Not joking; not intended to amuse

Usage examples:

You can never tell when he’s serious., that’s an interesting job offer – i’d give it serious consid…

adjective

Causing indignation or disgust; offensive.

Usage examples:

Shocking behaviour

verb

Cause (someone) to feel surprised and upset.

Usage examples:

She was shocked at the state of his injuries

verb

Arrange (sheaves of grain) in a shock.

Usage examples:

The grain is shocked in the field after it is cut

adjective

Extremely bad or serious.

Usage examples:

A terrible crime

adjective

Not able to be expressed in words.

Usage examples:

I felt an unspeakable tenderness towards her