The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English
dire
adjective /daɪər/
/daɪr/ Definition
› very serious or extreme: These people are in dire need of help. He gave a dire warning that an earthquake was imminent. This decision will have dire consequences for local people.Serious and severeSevere › informal very bad: I thought that film was dire!Serious and unpleasantNot attractive to look atInformal words for bad
(Definition of dire adjective from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
Focus on the pronunciation of dire
Browse related topics
You are looking at an entry to do with Serious and unpleasant, but you might be interested in these topics from the Good and bad topic area:
- Bad and wrong behaviour
- Bad but attractive
- Behaving in a silly way
- Behaving well
- Dangerous and harmful
- Disobedient
- Extremely good
- Feeling morally superior
- Good and excellent things
- Good, better and best
- Informal words for bad
- Informal words for good
- Morality and rules of behaviour
- Morally wrong and evil
- Not good enough
- Not of good quality
- Obedient and compliant
- People having good qualities
- Quite good, or not very good
- Selfishness
- Serious and severe
- Uncontrolled
- Unpleasant men
- Unpleasant people in general
- Unpleasant women
- Violent or aggressive
- Virtue and moral good
- Worse and worst
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus: Serious and unpleasant
Synonyms and related words:
- abominable adjective
- abysmal adjective
- apocalyptic adjective
- appalling adjective
- awfully adverb (BADLY)
- belief noun
- corrosive adjective
- grim adjective (UNPLEASANT)
- grisly adjective
- grotesque adjective
- gruesome adjective
- hateful adjective
- noxious adjective
- rotten adjective
- shitty adjective
- shocking adjective (VERY BAD)
- sickening adjective
- snivelling adjective
- stinking adjective (BAD)
- wretched adjective
You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Word of the Day
Blog
Read our blog about how the English language behaves.
New Words
Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.
