Directions: Choose the word that is similar in meaning to the word given in capital letters. DIRE

The correct choice is: dreadful

Dire means dreadful or terrible, extremely serious (dire consequences, dire poverty).

‘wicked’ means evil and ‘hopeless’ means without hope; ‘severe’ describes intensity rather than the sense of dread. The closest synonym is ‘dreadful’.

Hence the answer is ‘dreadful’.