expression, godan verb (-ru)
grasp at straws; resort to desperate measures
Idiomatic expression used when someone in a hopeless situation clings to even the slightest, most unreliable hope or help. Often used with verbs like 思う or in explanatory phrases.
彼は藁にもすがる思いで、いかがわしい情報商材を買ってしまった。
He was so desperate that he ended up buying a shady information product, grasping at straws.
藁にもすがる気持ちで、最後の面接に臨んだ。
With a feeling of grasping at straws, I went into the final interview.