Phrase guide

a drowning man will clutch at a straw

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

A person in urgent need of assistance will seize any available form of aid, regardless of its insignificance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: الغريق يتعلق بقشة — Translations
  • Czech: tonoucí se i stébla chytá — Translations
  • Czech: tonoucí se stébla chytá — Translations
  • Finnish: hukkuva tarttuu oljenkorteen — Translations
  • French: tout est bon à qui se noie — Translations
  • Japanese: 溺れる者は藁をも掴む (oboreru mono wa wara o mo tsukamu) — Translations
  • Korean: 물에 빠지면 지푸라기라도 잡는다 (mure ppajimyeon jipuragirado jamneunda) — Translations
  • Polish: tonący brzytwy się chwyta — Translations
  • Russian: утопа́ющий и за соло́минку хвата́ется (utopájuščij i za solóminku xvatájetsja) — Translations