læst strɔː
General
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- The final piece of straw
What does "last straw" mean?
- The final problem in a series that causes one to give up
- The event that makes a situation unbearable
Examples
- That comment was the last straw—I'm resigning.
- The price increase was the last straw for many customers.
- Missing my flight was the last straw on that terrible trip.
Origin
From 'the straw that broke the camel's back'—the idea that a camel can carry heavy loads, but one final straw causes it to collapse.
How to use it
Implies accumulated frustration reaching a breaking point. Very dramatic expression.
Similar expressions
final blow
breaking point
the limit
Opposites
first problem
starting point
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "last straw" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.