You're always there for me, so if you're ever in dire straits, just let me know and I'll come running.
Source: tatoeba (66126)
Dire
//ˈdaɪ̯ə(ɹ)//
Synonyms for "dire" (319 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (64)
Adjective(24 words)
dismalmiserablesullenabysmalacuteaugurousawfulbadbalefulbleakbodefulbodingbroodingcheerlesschronicclamantcoarsecodcomfortlesscrap
Show 4 more words
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (96)
Adjective(29 words)
Related words (159)
ill offill-bodingill-fatedill-offill-omenedill-starredimperativeimportunatein adverse circumstancesinauspiciousinfamousinfernalinsistentinstantlamentableloathsomelousyloweringlucklessmacabre
Show 71 more words
menacingmonstrousmorbidmortalnastynefariousnoisomenotoriousobnoxiousodiousof evil portentoffensiveominousout of luckoutrageouspitiablepitifulplanet-struckportendingportentousrankredoubtableregrettablereprehensiblerepulsiverottenruinoussadsatanicscandalousschlockschrecklichscurvyshabbyshamefulshockingshoddyshort of lucksinistersombersordidsqualidstar crossedstar-crossedterribleterrificthreateningtoo badtragictremendousunblesseduncleanunderprivilegedunfavorableunfortunateunhappyunluckyunpromisingunpropitiousunprosperousunprovidentialunspeakableuntowardurgentvilevillainouswoefulworstworthlesswreckfulwretched
Adjective(67 words)
ill-bodingill-fatedill-omenedill-starredimperiousinadequateinauspicateinauspiciousincompetentinelegantinferiorinstantintolerablejokelessjoylesslack-laughterloathsomelousylugubriousmelancholy
Show 47 more words
mirthlessmoodynaffnefastousnegativeno jokeodiousomenicominouspatheticpeakplaintiveportentouspresagefulpresagiouspressingpressiveprodigiousrashrottenrubbishruefulsaturninesevereshitawfulsinistersloppysolemnsolitarysombersombresorespiritlessstar-crossedsternsunlessterribleuncheerfuluncheeryunfavorableunhappyunmerryunmirthfulunutterableurgentwintrywoeful
Adjective(1 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Synonyms
1 entriesRelated terms
1 entriesderived
7 entriesrelated to
9 entriessimilar
3 entriesTranslations
87 translations across 20 languages.
Arabic
1 entries- ماسّ adj (requiring action to prevent bad consequences)
Armenian
1 entries- չարագուշակ adj (warning of bad consequences)
Bulgarian
3 entries- злове́щ adj (warning of bad consequences)
- стра́шен adj (expressing bad consequences)
- ужа́сен adj (expressing bad consequences)
Chinese Mandarin
2 entries- 不祥的 adj (warning of bad consequences)
- 可怕的 adj (expressing bad consequences)
Danish
3 entries- ildevarslende adj (warning of bad consequences)
- ondskabsfuld adj (expressing bad consequences)
- skrækkelig adj (expressing bad consequences)
Dutch
4 entries- gevaarlijk adj (expressing bad consequences)
- omineus adj (warning of bad consequences)
- onheilspellend adj (warning of bad consequences)
- sinister adj (expressing bad consequences)
Finnish
4 entries- hirveä adj (warning of bad consequences)
- hirveä adj (expressing bad consequences)
- kamala adj (warning of bad consequences)
- kamala adj (expressing bad consequences)
French
4 entries- extrême adj (expressing bad consequences)
- funeste adj (warning of bad consequences)
- pressant adj (requiring action to prevent bad consequences)
- sinistre adj (warning of bad consequences)
German
4 entries- böse adj (warning of bad consequences)
- düster adj (warning of bad consequences)
- entsetzlich adj (expressing bad consequences)
- fatal adj (warning of bad consequences)
Irish
1 entries- léanmhar adj (bad in quality)
Italian
4 entries- catastrofico adj (expressing bad consequences)
- terribile adj (expressing bad consequences)
- tragico adj (expressing bad consequences)
- tremendo adj (expressing bad consequences)
Latin
1 entries- dīrus adj (expressing bad consequences)
Latvian
1 entries- šausmīgs adj (expressing bad consequences)
Lithuanian
1 entries- baisus adj (expressing bad consequences)
Norwegian
4 entries- illevarslende adj (warning of bad consequences)
- ondskapsfull adj (expressing bad consequences)
- skrekkelig adj (expressing bad consequences)
- skummel adj (warning of bad consequences)
Polish
2 entries- poważny adj (expressing bad consequences)
- straszny adj (expressing bad consequences)
Portuguese
4 entries- calamitoso adj (requiring action to prevent bad consequences)
- funesto adj (warning of bad consequences)
- horrível adj (expressing bad consequences)
- mal-agoirado adj (warning of bad consequences)
Russian
4 entries- безотлага́тельный adj (requiring action to prevent bad consequences)
- гнету́щий adj (warning of bad consequences)
- дрянно́й adj (bad in quality)
- жу́ткий adj (expressing bad consequences)
Spanish
4 entries- alarmante adj (warning of bad consequences)
- de mal agüero adj (warning of bad consequences)
- funesto adj (expressing bad consequences)
- maligno adj (expressing bad consequences)
Turkish
1 entries- uğursuz adj (warning of bad consequences)
Sample sentences
16 total sentences available.
The economy is in dire need of a jump-start.
Source: tatoeba (237995)
Exporters are in dire straights.
Source: tatoeba (367998)
The world is in dire need of those who think in a more open-minded way.
Source: tatoeba (607683)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.