direful

adjective

dire·​ful ˈdī(-ə)r-fəl 

1

: dreadful

direful war began again

—Charles Dickens

2

: ominous

direfully

ˈdī(-ə)r-fə-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• baleful
• dire
• doomy
• foreboding
• ill
• ill-boding
• inauspicious
• menacing
• minatory
• ominous
• portentous
• sinister
• threatening

Examples of direful in a Sentence

the stock market crash was the first direful indication of the dark days to come

heard the direful howling of the wolves during the night

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

direful

adjective

dire·​ful ˈdī(ə)r-fəl 

1

: causing great fear : dreadful

2

: foretelling bad things to come

direfully

-fə-lē 

adverb