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dire (d
r)
adj. dir·er, dir·est
r)1. Warning of or having dreadful or terrible consequences; calamitous: a dire economic forecast; dire threats.
2. Urgent; desperate: in dire need; dire poverty.
[Latin d
rus, fearsome, terrible; akin to Greek deinos.]dire
ly adv.dire
ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
