Dictionary formdirus, dira, dirum
Translation
dreadful, terrible; ill-omened
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Examples
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The war was dreadful and long.
vexabat.
A dreadful hunger was afflicting the people.
omine .
They cast off under an ill omen.
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The enemy was dreadful and savage.
.
He paid a terrible penalty.
Dirus, dira, dirum, first and second declension throughout. The root sense is not "very nasty" but "ill-omened": dirae in the plural are the unlucky signs the augurs read, and Dirae with a capital are the Furies. So a dirum omen is not merely a bad sign, it is a sign that the matter is already settled against you.
Keep the neighbours apart. Saevus is heat and rage, crudelis is cold cruelty, dirus is doom. Roman religious language gives it a technical edge that the English "dire" has entirely lost.
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dirus: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the Latin word "dirus" (dreadful, terrible; ill-omened): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is taught in chapter 10, lesson 8: dirus, ovis, desiderium and 7 more words.