English · Idiom Attested

the last straw

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Also seen as: the straw that broke the camel’s back · the final straw · last straw

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The final small problem that makes a situation unbearable.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Vấn đề nhỏ cuối cùng làm cho tình huống trở nên không thể chịu đựng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: The last piece of straw that breaks the overloaded camel’s back.

Explaining what finally triggered a decision to quit, leave, or act.

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

The third canceled paycheck was the last straw — she resigned that day.

Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Meaning · English

Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Sources & notes

Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

What does “the last straw” mean?

The final small problem that makes a situation unbearable. Literally: The last piece of straw that breaks the overloaded camel’s back.

Is “the last straw” formal or informal?

the last straw is generally neutral; connotation: exasperated.

What is the closest equivalent?

“giọt nước tràn li” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.