dire

1. ADJ Dire is used to emphasize how serious or terrible a situation or event is. 严重的; 可怕的[强调]

The government looked as if it would split apart, with dire consequences for domestic peace. 政府看似就要分崩离析，给国内和平带来可怕的后果。

2. ADJ If you describe something as dire, you are emphasizing that it is of very low quality. 质量低劣的[非正式]

...a book of children's verse, which ranged from the barely tolerable to the utterly dire. ...一本儿童诗集，所选诗篇有的勉强可读，有的糟糕透顶。