direful Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. adjective satellite causing fear or dread or terror
    dreadful; horrific; fearful; frightening; terrible; dread; dire; horrendous; awful; dreaded; fearsome.
    • the awful war
    • an awful risk
    • dire news
    • a career or vengeance so direful that London was shocked
    • the dread presence of the headmaster
    • polio is no longer the dreaded disease it once was
    • a dreadful storm
    • a fearful howling
    • horrendous explosions shook the city
    • a terrible curse

WordNet

Dire"ful adjective
Etymology
Dire + -ful.
Definitions
  1. Dire; dreadful; terrible; calamitous; woeful; as, a direful fiend; a direful day. -- Dire"ful*ly, adv. -- Dire"ful*ness, n.

Webster 1913