strait

1 of 3

noun

: a comparatively narrow passageway connecting two large bodies of water

—often used in plural but singular in construction

: isthmus

archaic : a narrow space or passage

: a situation of perplexity or distress

—often used in plural

in dire straits

strait

2 of 3

adjective

ˈstrāt

: causing distress : difficult

: limited as to means or resources

archaic : strict, rigorous

archaic

: narrow

: limited in space or time

: 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.

Example Sentences

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

On Friday, the White House’s China coordinator, Kurt Campbell, said the U.S. would likewise send ships through the strait.

Natalie Andrews, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines, meanwhile, announced disruptions to 30 flights on Tuesday as a result of air traffic controls in Fujian, the Chinese province directly across the strait from Taiwan.

Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2022 While still in the strait, another band of mutineers seized the armada’s largest ship, the San Antonio, and bolted for Spain, carrying essential provisions as well as reports of their captain’s cruelty and recklessness.

Gerard Helferich, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Beijing began a second day of military drills surrounding the island Friday morning, sending multiple military vessels and aircraft across the median line in the strait that had been an unofficial buffer zone for decades.

Rhoda Kwan, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2022 Taiwan’s defense ministry said Saturday that Chinese military aircraft and ships in the strait appeared to be simulating an attack on the main island of Taiwan.

Vivian Wang, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 Chinese state media reported the Su-35 flights shortly before Mrs. Pelosi arrived in Taipei, using phrasing that could either mean the jets were flying across the strait or through it.

Chun Han Wong, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 The volcano sits in Kagoshima Bay, and fleeing residents escaped by ferry across a narrow strait to the main part of Kagoshima, a city of 590,000.

Harold Maass, The Week, 25 July 2022 More than 70 industry tastemakers from over 10 countries across the region congregated along the famed strait in the East Garden under towering palm trees.

Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 18 July 2022

Adjective

Beijing worries that the U.S. is backing away from longstanding agreements over the status of Taiwan, which could unsettle the balance of cross-strait relations and make military conflict more likely.

Brian Spegele, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 Our lives in Taiwan do not revolve around cross-strait relations.

Clarissa Wei, CNN, 2 Aug. 2022 The normally strait-laced Associated Press has hired a democracy news editor.

Matt Pearce, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 But interest in political risk insurance has grown in recent months amid rising cross-strait tensions, and this week, with Chinese forces launching missiles from waters near the island, insurance has become very hard to find.

Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2022 Sand—a key ingredient in the glass, concrete, mortars, and plasters used in many construction projects—has emerged as a small but contentious flashpoint in cross-strait relations.

Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, 4 Aug. 2022 Taiwan’s business community, led by giants like iPhone maker Foxconn and chip manufacturer TSMC, is adept at navigating U.S.-China and cross-strait relations.

Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 China, meanwhile, has sent record numbers of war planes near Taiwan, as cross-strait tensions soared to their highest in recent decades.

Alex Rogers, CNN, 20 July 2022 As a teenager in a fundamentalist church, Corinne idolizes strait-laced Enoch Miller, the eldest son of the people who brought her family into the fold.

Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 16 July 2022 See More

straits

noun

plural of strait

as in distress

a state of great suffering of body or mind in great straits over the loss of her mother's cherished necklace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

distress
anguish
agony
pain
sorrow
misery
sadness
tribulation
woe
excruciation
hurt
torment
travail
torture
hardship
rack
affliction
cross
emergency
discomfort
crucible
heartbreak
unhappiness
heartache
danger
jeopardy
difficulty
ache
joylessness
pang
smarting
soreness
pinch
asperity
trouble
rigor
trial
throe
stitch
twinge

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of straits are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.

in dire straits

The synonyms contingency and straits are sometimes interchangeable, but contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence.

contingency plans

The meanings of crisis and straits largely overlap; however, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference.

a crisis of confidence

In some situations, the words emergency and straits are roughly equivalent. However, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster.

the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies

While in some cases nearly identical to straits, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation.

provide for exigencies

Although the words juncture and straits have much in common, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events.

an important juncture in our country's history

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

come through in a pinch

单词	straits
释义	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 See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences 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 On Friday, the White House’s China coordinator, Kurt Campbell, said the U.S. would likewise send ships through the strait. Natalie Andrews, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Chinese carrier Xiamen Airlines, meanwhile, announced disruptions to 30 flights on Tuesday as a result of air traffic controls in Fujian, the Chinese province directly across the strait from Taiwan. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 2 Aug. 2022 While still in the strait, another band of mutineers seized the armada’s largest ship, the San Antonio, and bolted for Spain, carrying essential provisions as well as reports of their captain’s cruelty and recklessness. Gerard Helferich, WSJ, 14 Aug. 2022 Beijing began a second day of military drills surrounding the island Friday morning, sending multiple military vessels and aircraft across the median line in the strait that had been an unofficial buffer zone for decades. Rhoda Kwan, NBC News, 5 Aug. 2022 Taiwan’s defense ministry said Saturday that Chinese military aircraft and ships in the strait appeared to be simulating an attack on the main island of Taiwan. Vivian Wang, BostonGlobe.com, 6 Aug. 2022 Chinese state media reported the Su-35 flights shortly before Mrs. Pelosi arrived in Taipei, using phrasing that could either mean the jets were flying across the strait or through it. Chun Han Wong, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 The volcano sits in Kagoshima Bay, and fleeing residents escaped by ferry across a narrow strait to the main part of Kagoshima, a city of 590,000. Harold Maass, The Week, 25 July 2022 More than 70 industry tastemakers from over 10 countries across the region congregated along the famed strait in the East Garden under towering palm trees. Jennifer Kester, Forbes, 18 July 2022 Adjective Beijing worries that the U.S. is backing away from longstanding agreements over the status of Taiwan, which could unsettle the balance of cross-strait relations and make military conflict more likely. Brian Spegele, WSJ, 3 Aug. 2022 Our lives in Taiwan do not revolve around cross-strait relations. Clarissa Wei, CNN, 2 Aug. 2022 The normally strait-laced Associated Press has hired a democracy news editor. Matt Pearce, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2022 But interest in political risk insurance has grown in recent months amid rising cross-strait tensions, and this week, with Chinese forces launching missiles from waters near the island, insurance has become very hard to find. Richard Vanderford, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2022 Sand—a key ingredient in the glass, concrete, mortars, and plasters used in many construction projects—has emerged as a small but contentious flashpoint in cross-strait relations. Nicolas Rivero, Quartz, 4 Aug. 2022 Taiwan’s business community, led by giants like iPhone maker Foxconn and chip manufacturer TSMC, is adept at navigating U.S.-China and cross-strait relations. Grady Mcgregor, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2022 China, meanwhile, has sent record numbers of war planes near Taiwan, as cross-strait tensions soared to their highest in recent decades. Alex Rogers, CNN, 20 July 2022 As a teenager in a fundamentalist church, Corinne idolizes strait-laced Enoch Miller, the eldest son of the people who brought her family into the fold. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 16 July 2022 See More 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 narrow channel connecting two bodies of water 2 : a situation of difficulty or distress —often used in pl. The lost hikers were in dire straits. straits noun plural of strait as in distress a state of great suffering of body or mind in great straits over the loss of her mother's cherished necklace Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance distress anguish agony pain sorrow misery sadness tribulation woe excruciation hurt torment travail torture hardship rack affliction cross emergency discomfort crucible heartbreak unhappiness heartache danger jeopardy difficulty ache joylessness pang smarting soreness pinch asperity trouble rigor trial throe stitch twinge Antonyms & Near Antonyms relief solace consolation comfort ease alleviation security peace assuagement well-being See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of straits are contingency, crisis, emergency, exigency, juncture, pinch, and strait. While all these words mean "a critical or crucial time or state of affairs," strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult. in dire straits The synonyms contingency and straits are sometimes interchangeable, but contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence. contingency plans The meanings of crisis and straits largely overlap; however, crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference. a crisis of confidence In some situations, the words emergency and straits are roughly equivalent. However, emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster. the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies While in some cases nearly identical to straits, exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation. provide for exigencies Although the words juncture and straits have much in common, juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events. an important juncture in our country's history Pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency. come through in a pinch
随便看	there's no dishonor in there's no fool like an old fool there's no getting away from there's no going back there's no holding him back there's no saying there's no smoke without fire there's no telling there's no time like the present there's one born every minute there's someone) for you there've there, there thereabout thereabouts thereafter thereagainst thereamong thereanent thereat thereater thereatest thereatter thereattest thereaway

strait

noun

adjective

adverb

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

noun

noun

Synonym Chooser