sob story


noun

an excessively sentimental human-interest story.
an alibi or excuse, especially one designed to arouse sympathy: Instead of a raise, the boss gave us another sob story about her expenses.

Origin of sob story

First recorded in 1915–20

Words nearby sob story

British Dictionary definitions for sob story

sob story

noun

a tale of personal distress intended to arouse sympathy, esp one offered as an excuse or apology

Idioms and Phrases with sob story

sob story

A tale of personal hardship, true or invented, that is intended to arouse pity in the listener. For example, She always came up with some sob story to excuse her absences, but no one believed her. [Early 1900s]