strait
🇺🇸 /ˈstreɪt/
📖 Definitions
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noun
A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water, such as seas or oceans.; A narrow passage or channel between two landmasses or through a body of water.; A difficult, distressing, or perplexing situation; a predicament (usually used in the plural 'straits').; A narrow isthmus or strip of land connecting two larger landmasses.
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adjective
Narrow; tight; constricted in width or extent.; Strict; rigorous; exacting in standards or requirements.; Difficult; distressing; trying.; Morally strict or rigid; upright and principled (archaic).
🔗 Details
Word forms
countable
Plural: straits
Collocations
dire straitsStrait of GibraltarStrait of Malaccastrait-lacedstraitjacket
Derivatives
straitenstraitenedstraitjacketstrait-laced
Synonyms
channelnarrowspassagesoundpredicamentdifficulty
Commonly confused
straight
EN: 'Strait' means a narrow waterway or a difficult situation; 'straight' means not curved or direct. They are homophones but entirely different words.
Spelling tips
EN: Do not confuse 'strait' (narrow passage, difficulty) with 'straight' (not curved, direct). They sound identical but have different meanings and spellings.
💬 Examples
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The Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea.
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The ship navigated carefully through the narrow strait between the islands.
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After losing his job, he found himself in dire straits financially.
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The strait of land between the two lakes was barely wide enough for a road.
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They walked along the strait path that wound through the mountain pass.
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The monastery was known for its strait discipline and austere way of life.
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The strait circumstances of the war made survival a daily challenge.
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She was a woman of strait moral convictions who never wavered from her principles.