Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

to draw the short straw

idiom

/tə drɔː ðə ʃɔːrt strɔː/

Definition

To be chosen for an undesirable task or situation, often by random selection.

Examples

In our group project, I had to draw the short straw and present our findings to the class.
When it was time to clean up after the party, John drew the short straw and had to wash all the dishes.
We couldn’t decide who would stay late at work, so we chose to draw straws, and I ended up drawing the short straw.

Meaning

The phrase refers to a method of making a choice where one person ends up with an unfavorable outcome, typically through a chance process like drawing straws.