Meanings
- idiomaticA 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.
As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.
1846 October 1 – 1848 April 1, Charles Dickens, chapter II, in Dombey and Son, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1848, →OCLC, page 13Synonyms: the stroke that broke the camel's back
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA 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.
Origin
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan la gota que fa vessar el vas
- la gota que fa vessar el vassmall additional burden which causes failure
Chinese Mandarin 壓倒駱駝的最後一根草 /压倒骆驼的最后一根草
- 壓倒駱駝的最後一根草 /压倒骆驼的最后一根草 (yādǎo luòtuó de zuìhòu yī gēn cǎo)small additional burden which causes failure
Czech poslední kapka, číše přetekla
- poslední kapkasmall additional burden which causes failure
- číše přeteklasmall additional burden which causes failure
- pohár trpělivosti přeteklsmall additional burden which causes failure
Dutch de druppel die de emmer doet overlopen
- de druppel die de emmer doet overlopensmall additional burden which causes failure
Esperanto la guto, kiu superbordigis la vazon
- la guto, kiu superbordigis la vazonsmall additional burden which causes failure
Finnish korsi, joka katkaisee kamelin selän
- korsi, joka katkaisee kamelin selänsmall additional burden which causes failure
French la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vase
- la goutte d’eau qui fait déborder le vasesmall additional burden which causes failure
German der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringt
- der Tropfen, der das Fass zum Überlaufen bringtsmall additional burden which causes failure
Greek η σταγόνα που ξεχείλισε το ποτήρι
- η σταγόνα που ξεχείλισε το ποτήρι (i stagóna pou xecheílise to potíri)small additional burden which causes failure
Hebrew הקש ששבר את גב הגמל
- הקש ששבר את גב הגמל (hakásh sheshavár ét gáv hagamál)small additional burden which causes failure
Hungarian az utolsó csepp a pohárban
- az utolsó csepp a pohárbansmall additional burden which causes failure
Icelandic kornið sem fyllti mælinn
- kornið sem fyllti mælinnsmall additional burden which causes failure
Irish buille maraithe na muice
- buille maraithe na muicesmall additional burden which causes failure
Italian la goccia che fa traboccare il vaso, goccia che fa traboccare il vaso
- la goccia che fa traboccare il vasosmall additional burden which causes failure
- goccia che fa traboccare il vasosmall additional burden which causes failure
Polish kropla, która przepełnia czarę
- kropla, która przepełnia czaręsmall additional burden which causes failure
Portuguese a gota que transbordou o copo
- a gota que transbordou o coposmall additional burden which causes failure
Romanian picătura care a umplut paharul
- picătura care a umplut paharulsmall additional burden which causes failure
Russian ка́пля, перепо́лнившая ча́шу
- ка́пля, перепо́лнившая ча́шу (káplja, perepólnivšaja čášu)small additional burden which causes failure
Scottish Gaelic théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhe
- théid capall don choille ach brisidh aon uallach a chridhesmall additional burden which causes failure
Spanish la gota que colmó el vaso, la gota que rebalsó el vaso
- la gota que colmó el vasosmall additional burden which causes failure
- la gota que rebalsó el vasosmall additional burden which causes failure
- la gota que derramó el vasosmall additional burden which causes failure
Swedish droppen som fick bägaren att rinna över
- droppen som fick bägaren att rinna översmall additional burden which causes failure
Thai ฟางเส้นสุดท้ายที่ทำให้หลังอูฐหัก
- ฟางเส้นสุดท้ายที่ทำให้หลังอูฐหักsmall additional burden which causes failure
Turkish bardağı taşıran son damla
- bardağı taşıran son damlasmall additional burden which causes failure
Vietnamese Giọt nước làm tràn ly
- Giọt nước làm tràn lysmall additional burden which causes failure
Cite this entry
the straw that broke the camel's back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20straw%20that%20broke%20the%20camel's%20back
“the straw that broke the camel's back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20straw%20that%20broke%20the%20camel's%20back. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the straw that broke the camel's back,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20straw%20that%20broke%20the%20camel's%20back.
Source: the straw that broke the camel's back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.