Transcription
-
- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dahyuh r]
- /daɪər/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [dahyuh r]
- /daɪər/
Definitions of direly word
- adjective direly causing or involving great fear or suffering; dreadful; terrible: a dire calamity. 1
- adjective direly indicating trouble, disaster, misfortune, or the like: dire predictions about the stock market. 1
- adjective direly urgent; desperate: in dire need of food. 1
- noun direly In a dire manner. 1
Information block about the term
Origin of direly
First appearance:
before 1560 One of the 32% oldest English words
First recorded in 1560-70, dire is from the Latin word dīrus fearful, unlucky
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Direly
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
direly popularity
A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 90% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
According to our data about 71% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.
direly usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSee also
Matching words
- Words starting with d
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