dire
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Roman situation before the fall of Constantinople was dire but not hopeless.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
But the roughly 2,500 who remain include hundreds of unaccompanied minors who are enduring dire conditions with limited access to food, water, shelter and sanitation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
While Boyles’ debut novel ostensibly follows the fate of an Eastern Colorado family farm, its deeper purpose involves showing how dire water resources are for all agricultural endeavors in the region.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
This dire situation is projected to get only moderately better over the next year.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Living with his divorced mom and two sisters in one Montana town or another, sometimes in dire poverty, Jesse always felt like an outcast.
From "Geeks: How Two Lost Boys Rode the Internet Out of Idaho" by Jon Katz
Rademacher said the showers will continue into at least Monday, with the midweek looking a bit direr.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2024
“It’s getting to be a direr situation,” Hogan said Thursday morning at her motel where many residents live.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 6, 2022
The pandemic pushed the world’s poor into direr straits, but for some young people it launched careers and improved chances for wealth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2021
The situation gets even direr when considering the threats to children, who can't get the shot until they turn 12.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2021
The direr the need of information in the "Hills," and in all the East for that matter, the greater the wisdom, as a rule, of seeming uninquisitive.
From King of the Khyber Rifles by Talbot Mundy
Chris Young grew up in Clarksville, Tenn., in the direst imaginable circumstances — unimaginable, in fact, to many of us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
A recent drought saw the three direst years on record, which dropped reservoirs around the state to dangerously low levels and prompted mandatory rationing and even caused some hydroelectric power plants to shut down.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2024
Wales received 56.7% of its expected rainfall between March and August, the third direst six-month period since records began in 1865.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2022
And the direst threats to it involve figures claiming not to care about how their actions on one side affect the other.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2022
Unsure of its power or abilities, we dared not use it for anything but the direst of circumstances.
From "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" by Grace Lin
Vocabulary lists containing dire
The SAT: Words to Capture Tone, List 2
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
The New SAT: Words to Capture Tone
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
