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

Canham-Clyne said Chipotle is not yet in dire straits.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

From 91-9, England were in dire straits but, just as they had with the ball, Atkinson and Tongue combined with the bat.

From BBC • Dec. 26, 2025

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

All the sunshine meant there were vegetables earlier than there should have been, and given the dire straits we were supposedly in, there seemed to be lots of food.

From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff

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