DIRE STRAITS Definition & Meaning

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dire straits

[ dahyuhr streyts ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

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.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of dire straits¹

First recorded in 1805–15

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Iran's economy is in dire straits, with soaring inflation and a plunging currency.

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"They both are in dire straits," she says, with only about 50 fishers and 500 red fox left in the wild.

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Inflation promises were key to Trump's victory but by many measures, such as growth and job creation, the economy overall was not in the dire straits he painted on the campaign trail.

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While Season 1 gave viewers the time to steep in the dire straits that led Gi-hun to accept an invitation to the games, Season 2 beginning the same way feels expected, if ultimately necessary.

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The economy is in dire straits especially in Bethlehem, which relies heavily on tourism which has almost entirely stopped.

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