She's in dire need (5)
I believe the answer is:
irene
'she's' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'in dire need' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates a hidden word.
'IRENE' is hidden in the letters of 'dire need'.
(Other definitions for irene that I've seen before include "Girl's name (meaning Peace)" , "- - Worth, actress" , "One can find a girl in Ree" , "Greek goddess of peace (English name)" , "Representative of peace" .)