in dire straits

Fig. in a very serious, bad circumstance. We are nearly broke and need money for medicine. We are in dire straits.

in dire straits

in extreme danger or difficulty Officials in Washington say the peace process is in dire straits.

Usage notes: sometimes used in the forms dire economic straits or dire financial straits: He's been out of work for eight months, and his family is in dire financial straits.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Oralee	-	English (Rare)
Tammie	['tæmi]
Ruut	ROO:T	Finnish
Benita	[bə'ni:tə]
Abram (2)	-	Russian, Georgian
Thomas	TAHM-əs (English), TOM-əs (English), to-MAH (French), TO-mahs (German, Dutch), tho-MAHS (Greek)	English, French, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, Biblical, Biblical Latin, Biblica