short straw

British

noun

to be the person (as in drawing lots) to whom an unwelcome task or fate falls

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But experts contacted by AFP said Ecuador may draw the short straw in its standoff with Colombia, whose ministry of mines and energy announced a suspension of "international electricity transactions" with the neighboring country.

From Barron's • Jan. 22, 2026

ITV entertainment reporter Ross King told his dance partner Jowita Przystal "you drew the short straw" when it was revealed they would be dancing together on Saturday.

From BBC • Sep. 20, 2025

So, they have a point to prove and Denver drew the short straw.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2022

Both seemed to have drawn the short straw.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2022

“I just got on a master’s bad side. He made sure I drew the short straw for this little trip.”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023