Dire – Seriously bad; causing great fear and worry.

(Pronounced dy-uh)

To remember the definition of the word dire, use the following mnemonic:

"You might die if you eat her (dire) cooking." It was seriously bad and caused fear and worry among the dinner guests.

Examples of dire in a sentence

The situation was dire.

He had made a dire mistake.

If they weren't careful, the consequences could be dire.