last straw
final irritation that ends one's patience
What it means
The last straw is the small additional problem that, after a long series of others, finally exhausts someone's patience and triggers a strong reaction. It is often used about quitting a job, ending a relationship, or making a long-postponed decision. The phrase comes from the proverb 'the straw that broke the camel's back'.
Words like “last straw” are exactly the kind of vocabulary our English vocabulary size test measures — find out how many English words you know.
Examples
- Missing my birthday was the last straw — I told him we were done.
- After months of late paychecks, the broken promise was the last straw.
- When the boss yelled at her in front of clients, that was the last straw.
- Another rent increase would be the last straw for most tenants in this building.
Where it comes from
Shortened form of the 19th-century English proverb 'it is the last straw that breaks the camel's back', describing how a tiny added weight can collapse an already overloaded animal. The phrase had become a standalone idiom by the late 1800s.
Related idioms
🎓 Think you know your idioms?
Take the English Idioms Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.
Take the English Idioms TestBuilt by the team behind Deep In.