straiten
To make strait; to narrow or confine to a smaller spaceTo make strait; to narrow or confine to a smaller space.
» Mary grew up in straitened circumstances.
Maria wuchs in armseligen Verhältnissen auf. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
sundown · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 sensesTo make strait; to narrow or confine to a smaller space.
The channel straitened the river through the town, made it flow faster, and caused more flooding upstream.
To restrict or diminish, especially financially.
Rising costs put those on fixed incomes in straitened circumstances.
- squeeze together
- bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship
Examples
3 sentencesMary grew up in straitened circumstances.
deMaria wuchs in armseligen Verhältnissen auf. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
I am finding myself in straitened circumstances because of the recession.
And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are straitened in the land, the desert hath shut them in.
Forms
straitens, straitening, straitened, straitened| Base form | straiten · to straiten |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | straitens |
| Present participle | straitening |
| Past simple | straitened |
| Past participle | straitened |
regular · Lesson
Synonyms
6 synonyms- bring into difficulties or distress, especially financial hardship:distress
Antonyms
1 antonymsWord family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle