Dies Irae

1 of 2

noun

: a medieval Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment sung in requiem masses

dies irae

2 of 2

Latin noun phrase

di·​es irae ˌdē-ˌās-ˈē-ˌrī How to pronounce dies irae (audio)
-ˌrā
: day of wrath : Judgment Day

Examples of Dies Irae in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
At the end, the Disney organ, with its wood pipes, plays, as the forest burns, an angry Dies Irae. Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2022 Still, the books wouldn’t have to face that Dies Irae for a while yet. Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin, day of wrath; from the first words of the hymn

First Known Use

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dies Irae was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near Dies Irae

Cite this Entry

“Dies Irae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dies%20Irae. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!