Something extremely difficult or exhausting that seems to be the final problem that someone cannot handle; a task that pushes you to your limit.
From 'back' + 'breaker' (one who breaks). This originated in the 1800s as a vivid metaphor—something so heavy it could literally break your back, later used figuratively for overwhelming problems.
This word shows how we experience emotional or mental struggle as physical pain: studies show that chronic stress literally causes muscle tension and back pain, so our metaphor is based on real biology.
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