Library / English Dictionary

STRAITS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A difficult juncture

Example:

matters came to a head yesterday

Synonyms:

head; pass; straits

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Hypernyms ("straits" is a kind of...):

juncture; occasion (an event that occurs at a critical time)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A bad or difficult situation or state of affairs

Synonyms:

pass; strait; straits

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("straits" is a kind of...):

situation (a complex or critical or unusual difficulty)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "straits"):

desperate straits; dire straits (a state of extreme distress)

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