Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

the straw that broke the camel's back

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.50 in modern English

Syllables
the s-traw that broke the -camel's back
IPA
60
Scrabble Score
30
Letters
3
Syllables
13
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Possibly from the proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia (1732) as “’Tis the last Feather, that breaks the Horse’s Back.” This comes from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move.

Inflected Forms

the straw that broke the camel’s back (canonical)

Phrases

final straw last straw the last drop makes the cup run over

Frequently Paired Words

final straw last straw the last drop makes the cup run over

Synonyms

the stroke that broke the camel's back

Questions

What does the straw that broke the camel's back mean?
A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something.
Where does the straw that broke the camel's back come from?
Possibly from the proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia (1732) as “’Tis the last Feather, that breaks the Horse’s Back.” This comes from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move.

How to pronounce the straw that broke the camel's back

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “the straw that broke the camel's back”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “the straw that broke the camel's back”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “the straw that broke the camel's back” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.