Meaning & use
dire straits expression
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
A way of referring to the fixed expression 'in dire straits', meaning a very serious and difficult situation.
Grammar: Used as a label for the idiom, not as part of a sentence; the idiom itself appears in phrases like 'be in dire straits'.
Patterns
- the dire straits expression
- use the dire straits expression
The teacher explained the dire straits expression before we read the article.
If you want to sound more formal, avoid the dire straits expression and say 'in serious difficulty'.
phraseidiom
The idiom 'in dire straits', used to say that a person or organization is in desperate trouble.
Grammar: Always plural and usually follows 'be' or 'find yourself': be in dire straits.
Patterns
- be in dire straits
- find yourself in dire straits
- leave someone in dire straits
After the factory closed, many families were in dire straits.
The airline was in dire straits and asked the government for help.
Small businesses found themselves in dire straits during the crisis.
Common combinations
- be in dire straits
- Without new funding, the hospital will be in dire straits by winter.
- find yourself in dire straits
- He found himself in dire straits after losing his job and his home.
- leave someone in dire straits
- The sudden cut in aid left the region in dire straits.
- financially in dire straits
- The company is financially in dire straits and may close.
Synonyms and how they differ
- in deep trouble
- More general and less literary; 'dire straits' suggests severe, urgent difficulty.
- in a bad way
- Informal and often about health or condition, while 'dire straits' usually refers to money or circumstances.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: dire straits expression or straight?
dire straits expression vs straight
Means not curved or honest; 'straits' here means trouble. Writing 'dire straights' is a common spelling mistake.
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is 'in dire straits' with plural 'straits' and the preposition 'in'. 'Straight' is the wrong word, the singular 'a dire strait' is not the idiom, and 'on' does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dire straits expression”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.