18
oppressive(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
precarious(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
profound(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
rugged(adjective, hard, difficult, unpleasant, complex)
18
taxing(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
tough(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
18
trying(adjective, hard, difficult, complex)
17
desperate(adjective, intense, awful, terrible, horrible)
17
direful(adjective, awful, terrible, fear, horrible)
17
disastrous(adjective, awful, terrible, miserable, painful)
16
evil(adjective, awful, black, atrocious, harmful)
15
bad(adjective, unpleasant, awful, terrible, vicious)
15
heinous(adjective, awful, terrible, horrible, afraid)
14
abominable(adjective, awful, terrible, horrible, afraid)
14
distressing(adjective, severe, tender, unpleasant, awful)
14
monstrous(adjective, awful, terrible, horrible, afraid)
14
wretched(adjective, awful, terrible, horrible, afraid)
13
acute(adjective, severe, important, significant, extreme)
13
calamitous(adjective, severe, unpleasant, awful, terrible)
13
catastrophic(adjective, awful, terrible, miserable, painful)
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APASmart Define. (2016). dire thesaurus. Retrieved September 22, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/dire/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2016. "dire thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/dire/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 22, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2016, dire thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 22 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/dire/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "dire thesaurus" 24 March 2016. Web. 22 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/dire/thesaurus/synonyms>