What is the meaning of the phrase “the last straw”?

The phrase “the last straw” is used to refer to a situation which causes someone or something to reach their limit and “break”.

Last straw in a relationship meaning

Usually the phrase “last straw” is used when referring to a relationship between two people or two or more parties – and it means that someone in the relationship has reached the point where he/she wants to end the relationship because the other person or party is causing too much stress.

Origin of the phrase “the last straw”?

The origin of the idiom “the last straw” is from the longer idiom “the last straw that broke the camel’s back”, which is an Arabic proverb used to refer to a situation in which a camel is overloaded and is carrying too heavy of a load which breaks the camel’s back.

Example of “the last straw” in a sentence

"Joe's boss was always teasing him.  But, when his boss
started teasing him in front of all his colleagues,
that was the last straw for Joe and he quit."

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