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.

First recorded in 1805–15

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