Dire Meaning
/ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjWarning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous.
adjRequiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing.
Sentence Examples
The economy is in dire need of a jump-start.
Exporters are in dire straights.
Not without sorrow shalt thou twice speak words so dire.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The drought created a ____ need for water in the entire parched region.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The economy is in ____ need of a jump-start.
Word Origin & History
Borrowed from Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains.[…]But out of sight is out of mind. And that, together with the inherent yuckiness of the subject, means that many old sewers have been neglected and are in dire need of repair."
— 2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:
"Cristiana Paşca Palmer, the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said the destruction of the world’s biggest rainforest was a grim reminder that a fresh approach needed to stabilise the climate and prevent ecosystems from declining to a point of no return, with dire consequences for humanity."
— 2019 August 30, Jonathan Watts, “Amazon fires show world heading for point of no return, says UN”, in The Guardian:
"And, of course, overlooking 1 ... Q-R8 mate, would be a dire mistake."
— 1973 May, Jack Straley Battell, “Announce the Mate!”, in Chess Life & Review:
"A second Norwich goal in four minutes arrived after some dire Newcastle defending. Gosling gave the ball away with a sloppy back-pass, allowing Crofts to curl in a cross that the unmarked Morison powered in with a firm, 12-yard header."
— 2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4-2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The drought created a ____ need for water in the entire parched region.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The economy is in ____ need of a jump-start.