straw
6 synonyms for straw, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Dried stalks left over from cereal crops like wheat, used for bedding, fodder, or thatch.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use straw
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
bale of straw
the last straw
drinking straw
straw hat
Etymology
From Old English streaw, related to a root meaning "to strew" or scatter — straw is literally the stuff that gets strewn on the ground.
Full origin of straw →Frequently asked questions
What does “straw” mean?
The word “straw” means dried stalks left over from cereal crops like wheat, used for bedding, fodder, or thatch. In plain terms, the dry stalks left after harvesting grain, or the drinking tube shaped like one.
How do you pronounce “straw”?
“Straw” is pronounced straw (/stɹɔ/ in IPA).
How do you use “straw” in a sentence?
Here is “straw” used in a sentence: “They spread fresh straw across the stable floor.”
What part of speech is “straw”?
“Straw” is a noun.
Where does the word “straw” come from?
The word “straw” comes from Old English. From Old English streaw, related to a root meaning "to strew" or scatter — straw is literally the stuff that gets strewn on the ground.
Is “straw” a common word?
“Straw” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
How many meanings does “straw” have?
“Straw” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: dried stalks left over from cereal crops like wheat, used for bedding, fodder, or thatch.
What is the difference between straw and hay?
Straw consists of the dried stalks left over after cereal crops such as wheat have been harvested, and it is used mainly for animal bedding, thatch, and sometimes fodder. Hay is grass or similar plants cut and dried specifically to feed animals, so hay is grown as food while straw is a harvest by-product.
What is a straw man argument?
A straw man argument misrepresents someone's position as a weaker or more extreme version so it can be knocked down easily. The name pictures a flimsy dummy made of straw, which is far easier to defeat than a real opponent.
