dire straits
noun
Forms dire straights
- noun (idiomatic) A difficult position or situation. “After being shipwrecked on the island, we were in dire straits.”
Synonyms
ass in a sling bind bucket of syrup calvary cauldron cross cross to bear difficulty dilemma doghouse fix hole jam kettle kettle of fish ordeal pickle pinch plight predicament desperate straits
Etymology
First use appears c. 1817. See cite below. The phrase stems from nautical terminology, where straits refers to narrow, treacherous passages of water between landmasses, posing serious navigation risks.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “dire straits”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details