direful

[ dahyuh r-fuh l ]
/ ˈdaɪər fəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR direful ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

dreadful; awful; terrible.
indicating trouble: direful forecasts.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of direful

First recorded in 1575–85; dire + -ful

OTHER WORDS FROM direful

dire·ful·ly, adverbdire·ful·ness, noun

Words nearby direful

directory, directory assistance, directress, directrix, diredawa, direful, diremption, direxit, dirge, dirham, dirhem
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to direful

apocalyptic, appalling, awful, baleful, baneful, calamitous, dreadful, fateful, ghastly, gloomy, ill-boding, inauspicious, ominous, shocking, terrible, terrific, unlucky, unpropitious, horrid

Example sentences from the Web for direful