Definition

The condition of being extremely serious or urgent, often related to a dangerous situation.

Example

The direness of the situation prompted immediate action from the authorities.

Conversation

I heard about the direness of the situation in the news today.

Yeah, it’s really concerning how things are escalating.

It makes you realize the importance of staying informed, right?

Absolutely, we need to understand the direness to take action.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Direness is formed from "dire" (from Old French *dire*, meaning to say or tell, but in this context refers to something dreadful or urgent) and the suffix "-ness" (meaning the state or quality of). The word "direness" refers to the state of being dire, indicating a situation that is extremely serious or urgent.

Memory Tip

Think of a situation that is 'dreadful' ('dire') and the '-ness' indicating the quality of that situation. This helps you remember that 'direness' means the quality of being extremely serious or urgent.

Visually Confused Words