strait

American  

[streyt] / streɪt /

noun

straits plural

1. (used with a singular verb) Often straits. a narrow passage of water connecting two large bodies of water.

2. Often straits. a position of difficulty, distress, or need.

   Ill and penniless, he was in sad straits indeed.

   Synonyms:

   plight, predicament, dilemma, pinch, exigency

   Antonyms:

   ease

3. Archaic. a narrow passage or area.

4. an isthmus.

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adjective

Archaic.

1. narrow.

   Strait is the gate.

2. affording little space; confined in area.

3. strict, as in requirements or principles.

strait British  

/ streɪt /

noun

1. (often plural)

   1. a narrow channel of the sea linking two larger areas of sea

   2. ( capital as part of a name )

      the Strait of Gibraltar

2. (often plural) a position of acute difficulty (often in the phrase in dire or desperate straits )

3. archaic a narrow place or passage

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adjective

1. (of spaces, etc) affording little room

2. (of circumstances, etc) limiting or difficult

3. severe, strict, or scrupulous

strait Scientific  

/ strāt /

1. A narrow waterway joining two larger bodies of water. The Strait of Gibraltar, for example, connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean.

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Synonym Usage

See emergency.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• straitness
  noun
• straitly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• straits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of strait

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English streit “narrow, a strait,” from Old French estreit “narrow, tight,” from Latin strictus, past participle of stringere “to tighten, bind”; see strain ¹

Explanation

A strait is a narrow sea channel or a difficult situation — remember that both are difficult to navigate. If you're stranded on a strait off the Black Sea, you might also say that you're in dire straits. The noun strait comes from the Latin word strictus, meaning "to bind or draw tight." Whether you're describing a narrow passage of water or a tricky situation, a strait will make you feel like you're in tight quarters. You might be familiar with the term "dire straits," which refers an urgent or drastic situation. If all the dorms are overbooked for the fall semester and the off-campus apartments are all rented, you might find yourself in dire straits.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

strait straits

The International Maritime Organization has said there are at least 6,000 seafarers on hundreds of vessels who are stranded in the strait, unable to evacuate during the ceasefire.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

That blockade centered on the Bab al Mandeb strait, the only southbound route for Saudi tankers headed to Asian markets.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

By forcing ships to turn back from the narrow Bab El Mandeb strait, they have threatened to choke off the main maritime route from Europe to Asia.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

The ECB in June became the first major central bank to raise rates after the near total closure of the strait, putting rates up a quarter of a percentage point to 2.25 percent.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

She was drowned; and the strait was named for her: the Sea of Helle, the Hellespont.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

The communique featured previously unused language targeting "freedom of navigation in and overflight above straits" while separately calling for "unimpeded" passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026

These two passages, which lock access to the Gulf and to the Red Sea, are among the dozen or so straits considered vital to international trade.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

If you’re not in dire straits financially, keep full ownership of your home.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026

Remember when we all believed that the market would be in dire straits if the megacap tech stocks had a wobble?

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026

As soon as the Argo II had passed into the straits, Arion broke off his harassment.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• predicament