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.

• draw someone's fire
• draw something out
• draw the battle lines
• draw the line
• draw the line at
• draw the line at doing something
• draw the line at something
• draw the short straw
• draw up
• draw up something
• draw yourself up
• dreaded lurgy
• dream come true
• Dream on!
• dream on
• dream ticket
• dream up
• dream up something
• dredge up
• dredge up something
• dress down
• dressed to kill
• dressed to the nines
• dress someone down
• dress something up