Synonyms for dire

Synonyms for (adj) dire

Synonyms: horrendous, horrific, awful, dire, direful, dread, dreaded, dreadful, frightening, fearful, fearsome, terrible

Definition: causing fear or dread or terror

Usage: 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

Similar words: alarming

Definition: frightening because of an awareness of danger


Synonyms: dire, desperate

Definition: fraught with extreme danger; nearly hopeless

Usage: a desperate illness; on all fronts the Allies were in a desperate situation due to lack of materiel- G.C.Marshall; a dire emergency

Similar words: critical

Definition: being in or verging on a state of crisis or emergency

Usage: a critical shortage of food; a critical illness; an illness at the critical stage


Visual thesaurus for dire