SSC Stenographer 2025 PYQ — Question 124

SSC Stenographer - 08 Aug 2025 - Shift 3 • English • Q124

What does the idiom 'Clutching at straws' mean?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A

Explanation

The correct answer to the question is “Hoping without reason”.

Explanation:

The idiom "clutching at straws" (or "grasping at straws") is used to describe a person in a desperate or hopeless situation who tries to find any possible solution or reason for hope, no matter how unlikely or insignificant it may be.

Origin: The phrase comes from the image of a drowning person trying to grab onto floating pieces of straw in a last-ditch effort to save themselves, even though a straw is far too weak to provide real support.

Usage: It implies that a person is acting out of desperation and relying on ideas or arguments that have no logical or practical basis.