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

The company was in dire financial straits, set to lose money for the first time in years. —Clare Malone, New Yorker, 12 May 2025

Image Each year, tens of thousands of African migrants attempt the perilous journey across the narrow strait separating the Horn of Africa from the Arabian Peninsula, hoping to reach wealthy Gulf States north of Yemen. —Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Streaming services, led by Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video, had become the effective gatekeepers of international film sales, and that gate is still very strait. —John Hopewell, Variety, 18 Nov. 2023

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

Rhymes for strait

• ate
• bait
• bate
• cate
• crate
• date
• eight
• fait
• fate
• fete
• frate
• freight

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