D&D General ‪What does the word “dire”‬ mean to you?

[Lanefan]

Impressive number of Canadians here!

 

[Weiley31]

I went better, British as I'm a kiwi and we use UK English, I've always thought about dire creatures as larger, smarter, and more ferocious than their regular counterparts.

You have revealed your secret: your a Dire Kiwi.

 

[Weiley31]

American and extensive reader here. I interpret "dire" as not just "bad" but "extraordinarily bad".

So in one sense a dire situation is a very bad, urgent situation. And in another sense a dire wolf is an extraordinarily bad (i.e. dangerous) wolf, which is different than the British interpretation of being very bad at being a wolf... in which case a beagle is also indeed a very dire wolf.

Make mine a Dire Basset Hound!

 

[JiffyPopTart]

I always associated Dire (as in the animal adjective) with preternatural. Its not just a BIG version of something (that is reserved for the Giant Rat), but instead a prehistoric or alternate form of one, that also always happens to be more dangerous.

 

[MarkB]

You have revealed your secret: your a Dire Kiwi.

Better than a Dire Rhea.

 

[cbwjm]

You have revealed your secret: your a Dire Kiwi.

But the real question is am I bigger and more ferocious or am I an rubbish, inferior kiwi?

 

[TheCosmicKid]

Related: the grizzly bear is Ursus arctos horribilis -- meaning, as a friend of mine put it, "of all bears it is the one most horrible and most like a bear." Obviously it's not horrible at being a bear. It's very good at being a bear. That's precisely what makes it horrible to everybody else, including the folks who decided what to call it.

 

[Weiley31]

It's very good at being a bear.

The bear necessaties.

 

[Beleriphon]

Better than a Dire Rhea.

I'll take one of those over a dire emu any day. Or a dire hippo.

 

[HarbingerX]

Recent Canadian English example of dire:

'Dire' shortage has Vancouver doctors turning away patients seeking COVID-19 testing

Pretty sure they didn't mean 'shabby'.