strait

play

adjective \ ˈstrāt \

Definition of strait

1 archaic :strict, rigorous

2 archaic

a :narrow

b :limited in space or time

c :closely fitting :constricted, tight

3 a :causing distress :difficult

b :limited as to means or resources

—

straitly

adverb

—

straitness

noun

Recent Examples of strait from the Web

One of the world's most important sea lanes, millions of barrels of oil and petroleum products pass through the strait daily, according to GlobalSecurity.org.

— brad lendon and steve george, CNN, "China sends troops to Djibouti, establishes first overseas military base," 13 July 2017
A laconic, strait-laced, hilariously hard-boiled investigator with an encyclopedic knowledge of perps past and present, Miramontes’ Charlie isn’t about to be led around by the nose by femmes Mona or Veronica.

— Orange County Register, "‘Kill Me, Deadly’ in Fullerton delivers dead-on parody of film noir," 29 Mar. 2017
Subsequent episodes, including one in which the most strait-laced teacher got looped on alcohol and ran wild and naked through the halls like a demented leprechaun, maintained the madcap standard.

— james wolcott, HWD, "5 Underrated TV Shows You Should Watch Right Now," 18 Jan. 2017
Subsequent episodes, including one in which the most strait-laced teacher got looped on alcohol and ran wild and naked through the halls like a demented leprechaun, maintained the madcap standard.

— james wolcott, vanityfair.com, "5 Underrated TV Shows You Should Watch Right Now," 18 Jan. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'strait.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of strait

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

See Words from the same year

strait

adverb

Definition of strait

obsolete

:in a close or tight manner

First Known Use of strait

13th century

strait

noun

Definition of strait

1 a archaic :a narrow space or passage

b :a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water —often used in plural but singular in construction

c :isthmus

2 :a situation of perplexity or distress —often used in plural

in dire straits

See strait defined for English-language learners

See strait defined for kids

Examples of strait in a Sentence

Her campaign is in desperate straits.
The company is in desperate financial straits.
The economy is in dire straits.

Recent Examples of strait from the Web

The Waterfront Development Corp., which manages the highly popular stretch of greenery along the Ohio River, is in fairly dire financial straits and plans to begin charging visitors who park in a waterfront lot Wednesdays through Sundays.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "$3 to $5 parking fee at the waterfront, Big Four Bridge is likely to happen," 9 Aug. 2017
Sullivan said while the budgetary talks are frequent at school board meetings, District 204 residents might not know the dire straits the district is facing.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Consultant hire could be harbinger of Indian Prairie 204 referendum," 22 July 2017
But Bulger — who first floated the idea at a board meeting in February — also expressed some frustration at critics of advertising or naming rights when Metro is in such dire straits.

— fredrick kunkle, Washington Post, "Metro proposal to sell naming rights to stations is just wrong," 10 July 2017
ISTANBUL—On the glittering Bosporus strait, a boat outfitted to look like an old Damascus neighborhood offers Syrians living in Turkey a wistful taste of home.

— nour malas, WSJ, "Exiled by War, Syrians in Turkey Take Cruise Down Memory Lane," 26 June 2017
To be sure, the McConnell bill looks to be in desperate straits.

— norm ornstein, The Atlantic, "The Kabuki Theater of the AHCA," 25 June 2017
Many temporary positions disappear in the summer, particularly in the tourism industry, so many people find themselves in dire straits, Sumner said.

— jerod macdonald-evoy, azcentral, "A problem with prosperity: Fewer landlords participating in affordable-housing programs in Tempe, Chandler," 11 May 2017
But the Democrats portrayed the situation in a misleading light by omitting that the business was in dire financial straits years before Trump entered the picture.

— amy sherman, miamiherald, "Did bankrupt Trump golf course in Puerto Rico leave taxpayers on hook?," 5 May 2017
That strait, some 16-kilometers (10-miles) wide at its narrowest point, links the Red Sea and the Suez Canal with the Gulf of Aden and ultimately the Indian Ocean.

— jon gambrell, The Seattle Times, "UAE’s battle-hardened military expands into Africa, Mideast," 28 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of strait

14th century

strait Synonyms

Synonyms

narrows, neck, sound, channel

Related Words

arm, bay, gulf, inlet; roads, roadstead; reach, stretch

Near Antonyms

comfort, consolation, solace; alleviation, assuagement, ease, relief; peace, security; well-being

Synonym Discussion of 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.