last straw

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'.

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