dire straits

American

[dahyuhr streyts] / ˈdaɪər ˈstreɪts /

plural noun

very difficult circumstances.

With inflation so high, I've been talking to many more people lately who are in dire straits.
Once facing dire straits, the theater has bounced back since producing this hit show.

Etymology

Origin of dire straits

First recorded in 1805–15

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Though not in dire straits, it isn’t exactly healthy, either.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

Aston Martin are in such dire straits that there is a significant question mark about which of the two will be slowest in Melbourne.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

Facing a tricky chase of 165 against Pakistan at the Pallekele stadium in Kandy, England could have been in dire straits when they lost Phil Salt first ball of the innings.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Some people are in more dire straits financially than others, of course, but everyone needs support from time to time.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

I would be in the direst of dire straits, facing a bleak future, when some small thing, some detail, would transform itself and appear in my mind in a new light.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023