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
1915-20
Examples from the web for sob story
Pitch them a sob story and they often swallow it whole.
MS submitting a corporate sob story as an argument, this comes off smelling bit off.
The fake one called the next morning with another sob story about he had missed his plane and needed more money.
It starts when the inmate gets an individual to accept a collect call and then gives a sob story.
British Dictionary definitions for sob story
sob story
noun
1.
a tale of personal distress intended to arouse sympathy, esp one offered as an excuse or apology
Slang definitions & phrases for sob story
sob story
noun phrase
A very affecting tale, esp an account of one's disabling troubles; a story that disingenuously appeals to one's charitable nature: Do not weep crocodile tears over media sob stories(1913+)
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 ]