How to Use dire in a Sentence

dire

adjective
  • They live in dire poverty.
  • The circumstances are now more dire than ever.
  • Some analysts are issuing dire economic forecasts.
  • That’s not as dire as never again.
    — Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
  • Things appeared to be quite dire.
    — James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Sep. 2025
  • This is where things become quite dire.
    — Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025
  • But so far this season has been dire for each of them.
    — ABC News, 26 Apr. 2026
  • But the wide receivers room was in dire need of a boost.
    — Charlotte Carroll, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
  • And some of them don’t take a dire view of all high taxes.
    — Michael Powell, The Atlantic, 1 Jan. 2026
  • Our country is in dire need of reform and regime change.
    — Dallas Morning News, 3 Feb. 2026
  • To be sure, none of the data is dire, either.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Bored out of her mind, her life feels equally dire and absurd.
    — Ron Charles, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2022
  • Moscow had a far more dire response.
    — Ellen Mitchell, The Hill, 5 Feb. 2026
  • We're being told that things might not be that dire after all.
    — Susan Tompor, USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Yes, at times the restaurant business seemed dire.
    — Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Dec. 2025
  • But if, and when, one strikes, the repercussions could be dire.
    — Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2026
  • The data paints a dire picture.
    — Chicago Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026
  • For the White House, the message was dire.
    — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Both men seem resigned to a dire fate set forth by a country that failed them.
    — Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2024
  • Trump is setting a dire precedent.
    — The Denver Post Editorial Board, Denver Post, 23 Apr. 2026
  • This one is always a great option to keep in your purse or car for dire times.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Jan. 2023
  • Those dire predictions came to be.
    — Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
  • How about a team that was first overall in the league a year ago and is in dire need of help?
    — Chris Johnston, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
  • If your deck is in dire need of a new stain job, think about painting it instead.
    — Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Here’s what to know about it and how to tell something more dire isn’t going on.
    — Katie Camero, SELF, 17 Oct. 2024
  • Not every poll has contained dire news for Democrats.
    — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Both were on display Wednesday at their most dire.
    — Matt Kawahara, Houston Chronicle, 6 May 2026
  • White gave teeth to a Green Bay defense in dire need of some bite.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
  • The chances of my survival in these dire conditions would be slim to none.
    — Ryan Hampton, Time, 15 Aug. 2023
  • And when its leader decides to enlist, things get even more dire.
    — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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