DIRE - Definition & Meaning for Kids
Meaning 1
Part of speech: Adjective (satellite)
causing fear or dread or terror
Example: 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
Meaning 2
Part of speech: Adjective (satellite)
fraught with extreme danger
Example: 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
Synonyms
Dread, Desperate, Fearful, Awful, Dreaded
🌱 Word Origin (Etymology)
The word "dire" was borrowed from Latin dīrus.
🧩 Fun Fact
Roman military conquests permanently planted Latin vocabulary across three continents.