"dire" meaning in English

See dire in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

IPA: /ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/ Audio: en-us-dire.ogg [US] Forms: direr [comparative], more dire [comparative], direst [superlative], most dire [superlative]
Rhymes: -aɪə(ɹ) Etymology: Borrowed from Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”). Etymology templates: {{bor|en|la|dīrus|t=fearful, ominous}} Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”) Head templates: {{en-adj|er|more}} dire (comparative direr or more dire, superlative direst or most dire)
  1. Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous. Translations (warning of bad consequences): չարագուշակ (čʻaragušak) (Armenian), злове́щ (zlovéšt) (Bulgarian), 不祥的 (bùxiáng de) (Chinese Mandarin), ildevarslende (Danish), onheilspellend (Dutch), omineus (Dutch), hirveä (Finnish), kamala (Finnish), kauhea (Finnish), pahaenteinen (Finnish), funeste (French), sinistre (French), düster (German), böse (German), fatal (German), unheilversprechend (German), skummel (Norwegian), illevarslende (Norwegian), mal-agoirado (Portuguese), mal-agouro (Portuguese), funesto (Portuguese), злове́щий (zlovéščij) (Russian), гнету́щий (gnetúščij) [masculine] (Russian), de mal agüero (Spanish), portentoso (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-dire-en-adj-NM9LM3Db Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 3 37 22 Disambiguation of 'warning of bad consequences': 56 18 21 6
  2. Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing. Translations (requiring action to prevent bad consequences): pressant (French), verzweifelt (German), händeringend (German), fürchterlich dringend (German), calamitoso (Portuguese), неотло́жный (neotlóžnyj) [masculine] (Russian), э́кстренный (ékstrennyj) [masculine] (Russian), сро́чный (sróčnyj) [masculine] (Russian), безотлага́тельный (bezotlagátelʹnyj) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-dire-en-adj-FVgz6sRs Disambiguation of 'requiring action to prevent bad consequences': 16 63 17 5
  3. Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal. Synonyms: horrible, terrible, lamentable Translations (expressing bad consequences): стра́шен (strášen) (Bulgarian), ужа́сен (užásen) (Bulgarian), 可怕的 (kěpà de) (Chinese Mandarin), ondskabsfuld (Danish), skrækkelig (Danish), gevaarlijk (Dutch), vreselijk (Dutch), sinister (Dutch), verschrikkelijk (Dutch), hirveä (Finnish), kamala (Finnish), kauhea (Finnish), extrême (French), terrible (French), schrecklich (German), entsetzlich (German), furchtbar (German), terribile (Italian), tremendo (Italian), tragico (Italian), catastrofico (Italian), dīrus (Latin), šausmīgs (Latvian), baisus (Lithuanian), skrekkelig (Norwegian), ondskapsfull (Norwegian), poważny (Polish), straszny (Polish), horrível (Portuguese), terrível (Portuguese), жу́ткий (žútkij) (Russian), ужа́сный (užásnyj) (Russian), стра́шный (strášnyj) (Russian), мра́чный (mráčnyj) [masculine] (Russian), maligno (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-dire-en-adj-Z7dD-hRD Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 3 37 22 Disambiguation of 'expressing bad consequences': 22 19 52 7
  4. (informal) Bad in quality, awful, terrible. Tags: informal Translations (bad in quality): furchtbar (German), schlimm (German), fürchterlich (German), léanmhar (Irish), нека́чественный (nekáčestvennyj) (Russian), дрянно́й (drjannój) (Russian), третьесо́ртный (tretʹjesórtnyj) (Russian), низкока́чественный (nizkokáčestvennyj) (Russian), недоброка́чественный (nedobrokáčestvennyj) (Russian)
    Sense id: en-dire-en-adj-BTemIZus Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 38 3 37 22 Disambiguation of 'bad in quality': 2 2 3 93
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: direful, direly, direness, dire sisters, dire straits, dire wolf Related terms: voir dire

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for dire meaning in English (14.3kB)

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "direful"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "direly"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "direness"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "dire sisters"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "dire straits"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "dire wolf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "dīrus",
        "t": "fearful, ominous"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "direr",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more dire",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "direst",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most dire",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "dire (comparative direr or more dire, superlative direst or most dire)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "voir dire"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 3 37 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire omens",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous."
      ],
      "id": "en-dire-en-adj-NM9LM3Db",
      "links": [
        [
          "ill-boding",
          "ill-boding"
        ],
        [
          "portentous",
          "portentous"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "čʻaragušak",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "չարագուշակ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "zlovéšt",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "злове́щ"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bùxiáng de",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "不祥的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "ildevarslende"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "onheilspellend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "omineus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "hirveä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "kamala"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "kauhea"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "pahaenteinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "funeste"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "sinistre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "düster"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "böse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "fatal"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "unheilversprechend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "skummel"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "illevarslende"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "mal-agoirado"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "mal-agouro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "funesto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zlovéščij",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "злове́щий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "gnetúščij",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "гнету́щий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "de mal agüero"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "56 18 21 6",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
          "word": "portentoso"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire need (of)",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing."
      ],
      "id": "en-dire-en-adj-FVgz6sRs",
      "links": [
        [
          "urgent",
          "urgent"
        ],
        [
          "pressing",
          "pressing"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "word": "pressant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "word": "verzweifelt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "word": "händeringend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "word": "fürchterlich dringend"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "word": "calamitoso"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "neotlóžnyj",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "неотло́жный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "ékstrennyj",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "э́кстренный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "sróčnyj",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "сро́чный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "16 63 17 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezotlagátelʹnyj",
          "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "безотлага́тельный"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 3 37 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire consequences;  to be in dire straits",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 August 30, Jonathan Watts, “Amazon fires show world heading for point of no return, says UN”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal."
      ],
      "id": "en-dire-en-adj-Z7dD-hRD",
      "links": [
        [
          "dreadful",
          "dreadful"
        ],
        [
          "dismal",
          "dismal"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "horrible"
        },
        {
          "word": "terrible"
        },
        {
          "word": "lamentable"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "strášen",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "стра́шен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "užásen",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "ужа́сен"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "kěpà de",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "可怕的"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "ondskabsfuld"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "skrækkelig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "gevaarlijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "vreselijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "sinister"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "verschrikkelijk"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "hirveä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "kamala"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "kauhea"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "extrême"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "terrible"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "schrecklich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "entsetzlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "furchtbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "terribile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "tremendo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "tragico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "catastrofico"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "dīrus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "lv",
          "lang": "Latvian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "šausmīgs"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "baisus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "skrekkelig"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "ondskapsfull"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "poważny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "straszny"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "horrível"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "terrível"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "žútkij",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "жу́ткий"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "užásnyj",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "ужа́сный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "strášnyj",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "стра́шный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "mráčnyj",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мра́чный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "22 19 52 7",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
          "word": "maligno"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "38 3 37 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His dire blunder allowed her to checkmate him with her next move.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4-2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Bad in quality, awful, terrible."
      ],
      "id": "en-dire-en-adj-BTemIZus",
      "links": [
        [
          "awful",
          "awful"
        ],
        [
          "terrible",
          "terrible"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Bad in quality, awful, terrible."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "furchtbar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "schlimm"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "fürchterlich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "léanmhar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nekáčestvennyj",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "нека́чественный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "drjannój",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "дрянно́й"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tretʹjesórtnyj",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "третьесо́ртный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nizkokáčestvennyj",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "низкока́чественный"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 3 93",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nedobrokáčestvennyj",
          "sense": "bad in quality",
          "word": "недоброка́чественный"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-dire.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/94/En-us-dire.ogg/En-us-dire.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/En-us-dire.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dire"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English 2-syllable words",
    "English adjectives",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms borrowed from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms with IPA pronunciation",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪə(ɹ)",
    "Rhymes:English/aɪə(ɹ)/1 syllable"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "direful"
    },
    {
      "word": "direly"
    },
    {
      "word": "direness"
    },
    {
      "word": "dire sisters"
    },
    {
      "word": "dire straits"
    },
    {
      "word": "dire wolf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "dīrus",
        "t": "fearful, ominous"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”)",
      "name": "bor"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Borrowed from Latin dīrus (“fearful, ominous”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "direr",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "more dire",
      "tags": [
        "comparative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "direst",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "most dire",
      "tags": [
        "superlative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "er",
        "2": "more"
      },
      "expansion": "dire (comparative direr or more dire, superlative direst or most dire)",
      "name": "en-adj"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "voir dire"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire omens",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Warning of bad consequences: ill-boding; portentous."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ill-boding",
          "ill-boding"
        ],
        [
          "portentous",
          "portentous"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire need (of)",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Requiring action to prevent bad consequences: urgent, pressing."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "urgent",
          "urgent"
        ],
        [
          "pressing",
          "pressing"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "dire consequences;  to be in dire straits",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2019 August 30, Jonathan Watts, “Amazon fires show world heading for point of no return, says UN”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Expressing bad consequences: dreadful; dismal."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "dreadful",
          "dreadful"
        ],
        [
          "dismal",
          "dismal"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "horrible"
        },
        {
          "word": "terrible"
        },
        {
          "word": "lamentable"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "His dire blunder allowed her to checkmate him with her next move.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2011 December 10, Arindam Rej, “Norwich 4-2 Newcastle”, in BBC Sport",
          "text": "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.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Bad in quality, awful, terrible."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "awful",
          "awful"
        ],
        [
          "terrible",
          "terrible"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) Bad in quality, awful, terrible."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-aɪə(ɹ)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "en-us-dire.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/94/En-us-dire.ogg/En-us-dire.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/94/En-us-dire.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (US)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "čʻaragušak",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "չարագուշակ"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "zlovéšt",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "злове́щ"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bùxiáng de",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "不祥的"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "ildevarslende"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "onheilspellend"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "omineus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "hirveä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "kamala"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "kauhea"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "pahaenteinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "pahaenteinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "funeste"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "sinistre"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "düster"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "böse"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "fatal"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "unheilversprechend"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "skummel"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "illevarslende"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "mal-agoirado"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "mal-agouro"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "funesto"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zlovéščij",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "злове́щий"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "gnetúščij",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "гнету́щий"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "de mal agüero"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "warning of bad consequences",
      "word": "portentoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "word": "pressant"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "word": "verzweifelt"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "word": "händeringend"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "word": "fürchterlich dringend"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "word": "calamitoso"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "neotlóžnyj",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "неотло́жный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "ékstrennyj",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "э́кстренный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "sróčnyj",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "сро́чный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezotlagátelʹnyj",
      "sense": "requiring action to prevent bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "безотлага́тельный"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "strášen",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "стра́шен"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "užásen",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "ужа́сен"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "kěpà de",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "可怕的"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "ondskabsfuld"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "skrækkelig"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "gevaarlijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "vreselijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "sinister"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "verschrikkelijk"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "hirveä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "kamala"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "kauhea"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "extrême"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "terrible"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "schrecklich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "entsetzlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "furchtbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "terribile"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "tremendo"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "tragico"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "catastrofico"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "dīrus"
    },
    {
      "code": "lv",
      "lang": "Latvian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "šausmīgs"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "baisus"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "skrekkelig"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "ondskapsfull"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "poważny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "straszny"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "horrível"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "terrível"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "žútkij",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "жу́ткий"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "užásnyj",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "ужа́сный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "strášnyj",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "стра́шный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "mráčnyj",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мра́чный"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "expressing bad consequences",
      "word": "maligno"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "furchtbar"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "schlimm"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "fürchterlich"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "léanmhar"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nekáčestvennyj",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "нека́чественный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "drjannój",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "дрянно́й"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tretʹjesórtnyj",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "третьесо́ртный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nizkokáčestvennyj",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "низкока́чественный"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nedobrokáčestvennyj",
      "sense": "bad in quality",
      "word": "недоброка́чественный"
    }
  ],
  "word": "dire"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-05-02 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.