Dies Irae

1 of 2

noun

: a medieval Latin hymn on the Day of Judgment sung in requiem masses

dies irae

2 of 2

Latin noun phrase

di·​es irae ˌdē-ˌās-ˈē-ˌrī How to pronounce dies irae (audio)
-ˌrā
: day of wrath : Judgment Day

Examples of Dies Irae in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
At the end, the Disney organ, with its wood pipes, plays, as the forest burns, an angry Dies Irae. Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2022 Still, the books wouldn’t have to face that Dies Irae for a while yet. Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Dies Irae.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Medieval Latin, day of wrath; from the first words of the hymn

First Known Use

Noun

1860, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dies Irae was in 1860

Dictionary Entries Near Dies Irae

Cite this Entry

“Dies Irae.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dies%20Irae. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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