English idiom

grasp at straws

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

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Figurative meaning

to try desperate, unlikely measures when things are going badly

Why this phrase?

A drowning man grasps at floating straws, which cannot support him; desperate attempts are pictured as equally unlikely to work.

Example

“Without evidence, he was grasping at straws to defend the theory.”

Dictionary details

Component words

straw

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

draw the short straw

to be selected, often by chance, for an unwanted task or outcome

the straw that broke the camel's back

the final small addition that makes a situation unbearable

go downhill

to become progressively worse in condition, quality, or performance

miss the boat

To lose a chance to do something by being too slow or late.

out of the question

completely impossible or not permitted

when pigs fly

Used to say that something will never happen.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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