dire
1. causing fear or dread or terror - the awful war - an awful risk - dire news - a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked - the dread presence of the headmaster - polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was - a dreadful storm - a fearful howling - horrendous explosions shook the city - a terrible curse • Syn: awful, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, frightening, horrendous, horrific, terrible • Similar to: alarming • Derivationally related forms: terribleness (for: terrible), dread (for: dread), awfulness (for: awful) 2. fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless - a desperate illness - "on all fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of materiel"- G.C.Marshall - a dire emergency • Syn: desperate • Similar to: critical
|
|