Dies Irae

American  

[dee-eys eer-ey] / ˈdi eɪs ˈɪər eɪ /

noun

1. a Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment, commonly sung in a Requiem Mass.

---

Dies Irae British  

/ ˈdiːeɪz ˈɪəraɪ /

noun

1. Christianity a famous Latin hymn of the 13th century, describing the Last Judgment. It is used in the Mass for the dead

2. a musical setting of this hymn, usually part of a setting of the Requiem

---

Etymology

Origin of Dies Irae

literally: day of wrath

Example Sentences

Still, the books wouldn’t have to face that Dies Irae for a while yet.

From Washington Post • Sep. 30, 2020

Sondheim gave transcendent musical voice to monomaniacal rage, with a shivery riff on the Dies Irae of the Catholic mass.

From New York Times • Mar. 12, 2020

Mozart’s Dies Irae needed a rage to match Pärt, and that meant that everything else had to be raised to that kind of emotional level as well.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2016

Even if not every section is equally successful – the Dies Irae registers as surprisingly jolly for the day of judgment – the best is bold and distinctive.

From The Guardian • Jul. 6, 2011

Then chanting the Dies Irae in a cheerful tenor the Reverend Stephen Ogilvie hurried off to his Sunday School.

From The Altar Steps by MacKenzie, Compton