strait

1 of 3

noun

1

a

: a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water

—often used in plural but singular in construction

b

: isthmus

c

archaic : a narrow space or passage

2

: a situation of perplexity or distress

—often used in plural

in dire straits

strait

2 of 3

adjective

ˈstrāt 

1

a

: causing distress : difficult

b

: limited as to means or resources

2

archaic : strict, rigorous

3

archaic

a

: narrow

b

: limited in space or time

c

: closely fitting : constricted, tight

straitly adverb

straitness noun

strait

3 of 3

adverb

obsolete

: in a close or tight manner

Did you know?

strait or straight?

Straight and strait are homophones (“one of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling”), and many people are in the habit of confusing such creatures, particularly when used in fixed phrases. If you express no emotion you have a straight face; an upright person is a straight shooter; a straight flush is “a poker hand containing five cards of the same suit in sequence.” However, if you find yourself in a difficult situation you are in dire straits. Straitjacket and straitlaced are the more commonly used forms for the restrictive garment and the “strict in manners” adjective, although straightjacket and straightlaced are also occasionally found.

Synonyms

Noun

• channel
• narrows
• neck
• sound

Choose the Right Synonym for strait

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, strait (or straits) crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs.

juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency.

come through in a pinch

strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

Examples of strait in a Sentence

Noun

Her campaign is in desperate straits.

The company is in desperate financial straits.

The economy is in dire straits.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For many observers, the most alarming possibility is that a chance collision in the strait could spark a wider war. —Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Nov. 2023

Before Israel’s retaliatory strikes began on the day of the Hamas attack, Gaza was already in desperate straits — under a 16-year blockade and relying heavily on Israel for power and on Egypt for humanitarian aid. —Edward Wong, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2023

In contrast, across the strait in Taiwan, the government has rolled out a plan for the island to be bilingual by 2030. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023

The balance of military power across the strait tilts heavily in favor of Beijing, and the gap continues to widen. —Hou Yu-Ih, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2023

Read full article Authorities did not immediately release any further details, such as when the boat had left Tunisia; where the shipwreck had taken place in the strait, a section of the Mediterranean that separates the African country from Sicily; and exactly how many people had died. —Emma Bubola, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2023

In 2009, Cara Mia was in dire financial straits when Lozano and Raul Treviño decided to tell the story of a walkout by Crystal City High School students, who were protesting discriminatory practices against Hispanics. —Manuel Mendoza, Dallas News, 12 July 2023

Forty of the aircraft had entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by crossing the median line, an unofficial sea border between Taiwan and China that helped maintain stability for years in the 110-mile-wide strait. —Vic Chiang, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023

Tensions have risen to their highest level in decades, as China’s assertive leader Xi Jinping ramps up military pressure on the island, sending warships and fighter jets across the strait with increasing frequency and scale. —Wayne Chang, CNN, 1 Sep. 2023

Adjective

Beijing is hoping that the Nationalist Party, or Kuomintang, which favors closer cross-strait trade and exchanges, wins Taiwan’s presidential election next year. —Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2023

Ma says the purpose of his 12-day visit, which is unofficial, is to make offerings to his ancestors, as well as promote cross-strait student exchanges. —Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 29 Mar. 2023

Lives lived: Bud Grant was a strait-laced Hall of Fame football coach who led the Minnesota Vikings for 18 years and took the team to four Super Bowls. —Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2023

But his family has come to oppose his career choice as cross-strait relations have worsened following the 2016 election as president of Tsai Ing-wen, whom Beijing sees as supporting Taiwan independence, and the increasing belligerence of Chinese leader Xi Jinping. —Lily Kuo, Vic Chiang, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Feb. 2023

Even the seemingly mainstream, strait-laced players, appear suspect. —Allison Morrow, CNN, 5 Jan. 2023

In the strait-laced world of business, with a personal net worth of $20 million, running a radio company that launched the hottest hip hop stations in America and pioneered a newfangled idea called sports talk radio, Jeff Smulyan has always worn his laces a bit looser than most. —The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2022

American Apparel, once the hipster city cousin of Abercrombie’s strait-laced suburbanite, lost its cultural pop (and skeevy CEO) in the mid-2010s; it was bought out of bankruptcy by a Canadian company and most of its clothes are no longer made in the United States. —Washington Post, 23 Nov. 2021

The strait-laced Portman, a creature of Washington who has served in the House, the White House and the Senate, is retiring and looking to cement his legacy as a pragmatic Republican who rejects the intense partisanship that has gripped Congress in recent years. —BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2021

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Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French estreit, from Latin strictus strait, strict, from past participle of stringere

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1c

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

strait

noun

ˈstrāt

1

a

: a narrow channel connecting two large bodies of water

—often used in plural

b

: isthmus

2

: a situation of confusion or distress

—often used in plural

in difficult straits