Some in the District government, like Councilman Jack Evans, the Democrat who heads the judiciary committee, which oversees the police force, see the situation in less dire terms.

Jesse Jackson has, in the past, described his upbringing in dire terms.

Congressional Republicans cast the situation in even more dire terms.

The United States Ambassador here, James R. Cheek, described the looming famine in the most dire terms.

The E.L.F.'s rhetoric hasn't gone that far yet, but its supporters describe the war they're waging in increasingly dire terms.

For months, the New York City economy has been described in terms neither encouraging nor dire.

Police and city officials say they do not see the parking situation in the dire terms used by neighborhood merchants.

His advisers said the state of the economy would be presented in dire terms, suggesting that it is considerably worse than either the voters or Mr. Clinton had previously been aware.

Appearing before a friendly crowd in Raleigh, N.C., Mr. Bush portrayed the costs of inaction in dire terms.

After announcing the 9-0 vote by the league's labor committee to reject the players' offer, Stern talked about the stalemate in dire terms.