World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariess'accrocher à une branche
Pronunciation / Transliteration: s-ak-ro-she a yn brãsh
"Dans sa détresse, il s'accrochait à une branche."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
To seize or grasp at any available resource, however slight, unlikely, or desperate, in an attempt to escape a difficult situation.
"When the negotiations failed, the CEO began to clutch at straws to save the failing merger." - 2
To show wild desperation by pinning one's hopes on the most improbable or ineffective remedies.
"Faced with a terminal diagnosis, he was willing to clutch at any unproven straw offered by alternative medicine."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the proverbially desperate act of a drowning person trying to grab even a floating straw of wheat to save themselves. The idiom dates back to the early 16th century, with literary roots appearing in Thomas More's works around 1530 to describe utterly hopeless situations.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Clutch at a straw"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Clutch at a straw" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
s'accrocher à une branche
Transliteration: s-ak-ro-she a yn brãsh
"Dans sa détresse, il s'accrochait à une branche."
nach jedem Strohhalm greifen
Transliteration: nakh ye-dem stroː-halm gray-fen
"In der Krise muss man nach jedem Strohhalm greifen."
attaccarsi a un appiglio
Transliteration: at-ta-kar-si a un ap-pi-glio
"Disperato, ha iniziato ad attaccarsi a un appiglio."
agarrarse a un clavo ardiendo
Transliteration: a-ga-rra-se a un kla-vo ar-dien-do
"Sin salida, se aferraba a cualquier esperanza."
atirar-se a uma palha
Transliteration: a-ti-rar-se a u-ma pa-lya
"Ele estava a agarrar-se a qualquer palha para vencer."
डubते को तिनके का सहारा
Transliteration: dubte ko tinake ka sahara
Script: डूबते को तिनके का सहारा
"संकट के समय हर कोई डूबते को तिनके का सहारा ढूंढता है।"
抓救命稻草
Transliteration: zhuā jiù mìng dào cǎo
"他在走投无路时只能抓救命稻草。"
지푸라기라도 잡다
Transliteration: jipu-ragirado jab-da
"그는 위기 상황에서 지푸라기라도 잡는 심정이었다."
わらにもすがる
Transliteration: wara ni mo sugaru
Script: 藁にもすがる
"彼は窮地に陥り、わらにもすがる思いだった。"
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