1 end
Pronounced:
/ˈɛnd/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural endsMeaning:
1 [singular] a : a point that marks the limit of something : the point at which something no longer continues to happen or exist ▪ The report is due at/by the end of the month. ▪ She interviewed several players at the end of the game. ▪ There is no end [=limit] to their generosity. [=they are extremely generous] ▪ I'm at the end of my patience. = I've reached the end of my patience. [=I can no longer be patient; I have run out of patience] b : the last part of a story, movie, song, etc. ▪ I liked most of the book, but I didn't like the end. [=ending] ▪ He read the book from beginning to end [=he read the entire book] in one day.
2 [count] a : the part at the edge or limit of an area ▪ The restaurant is in the north end of the city. ▪ We biked from one end of the island to the other. ▪ The house is at the end of the road. ▪ They live at opposite ends of town. ▪ He left the car at the far end [=most distant part] of the parking lot. ▪ the deep/shallow end of a swimming pool —see also dead end, rear end b : the first or last part or section of something that is long ▪ She drove the end of the stake into the ground. ▪ The car's front/rear/back end was damaged. ▪ One end of the rope was tangled. ▪ Smoke curled off the end of the cigarette. ▪ The hose is leaking at both ends. ▪ the pointed end of the knife c : either limit of a scale or range ▪ The car was in the high/low end of the price range. ▪ The candidates represent opposite ends of the political spectrum. ▪ The resort attracts tourists from the upper end of the social scale.
3 [count] : the stopping of a condition, activity, or course of action ▪ The agency's goal is the end of world hunger. ▪ The treaty marked the end of the war. ▪ His death marks the end of an era. ◊When something is at an end it is finished or completed. ▪ The battle was at an end. [=over] ▪ We would like to see this matter at an end. ◊If you bring something to an end or bring an end to something, you stop, finish, or complete it. ▪ She brought the concert to an end with a piano solo. ▪ Negotiations brought an end to the conflict. ◊If you put an end to something, you cause it to stop or prevent it from continuing. ▪ They promise to put an end to unfair policies. ▪ The new mayor vowed to put an end to the violence. ◊Something comes to an end when it stops or finishes. ▪ After three weeks the strike finally came to an end. ▪ Summer always seems to come to an end much too quickly. ▪ The curtain fell as the play came to an end. ◊If there is no end in sight, the point at which something will be finished is not known. ▪ There is no end in sight to this heat wave. ▪ Prices continue to go up with no end in sight.
4 [count] : the point at which someone is no longer living : death ▪ He came to a tragic end [=he died] in a freak accident. ▪ The doctors told her that the end was near. [=that she would die soon] —sometimes used with meet ▪ He met his end [=he died] in the icy water. ▪ She met an untimely end.
5 [count] : a goal or purpose ▪ Our ultimate end [=aim] in sponsoring the event is to raise money for charity. ▪ corrupt leaders who use their power for their own ends ▪ There are several ways to achieve/accomplish the same end. ◊If something is an end in itself, it is something that you do because you want to and not because it will help you achieve or accomplish something else. ▪ She started exercising for her health, but she enjoyed it so much that exercising became an end in itself. ▪ For him, taking classes was an end in itself. ◊If the end justifies the means, a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it. ▪ They believe that the end justifies the means and will do anything to get their candidate elected.
6 [count] American football : a player whose position is at the end of the line of scrimmage —see also end run, split ends, tight end
7 [count] : a specific part of a project, activity, etc. ▪ She is in the creative end of the business. ▪ It's important to know what's going on in all ends of a business. ; especially : the part of a project, activity, etc., that you are responsible for ▪ Let me know if you have any problems at your end. —usually used with keep up or hold up ▪ He promised to keep up his end of the agreement. [=he promised to do what he had agreed to do] ▪ You can count on her to hold up her end. [=to do what she is supposed to do]
8 [count] : any one of the places connected by a telephone call ▪ She picked up the phone and heard an unfamiliar voice at the other end. ▪ I can't hear you very well—there is a lot of noise at this end.
9 ends [plural] : parts of something that are left after the main part has been used ▪ a quilt made from bits and ends of fabric —see also loose end, odds and ends
2 [count] a : the part at the edge or limit of an area ▪ The restaurant is in the north end of the city. ▪ We biked from one end of the island to the other. ▪ The house is at the end of the road. ▪ They live at opposite ends of town. ▪ He left the car at the far end [=most distant part] of the parking lot. ▪ the deep/shallow end of a swimming pool —see also dead end, rear end b : the first or last part or section of something that is long ▪ She drove the end of the stake into the ground. ▪ The car's front/rear/back end was damaged. ▪ One end of the rope was tangled. ▪ Smoke curled off the end of the cigarette. ▪ The hose is leaking at both ends. ▪ the pointed end of the knife c : either limit of a scale or range ▪ The car was in the high/low end of the price range. ▪ The candidates represent opposite ends of the political spectrum. ▪ The resort attracts tourists from the upper end of the social scale.
3 [count] : the stopping of a condition, activity, or course of action ▪ The agency's goal is the end of world hunger. ▪ The treaty marked the end of the war. ▪ His death marks the end of an era. ◊When something is at an end it is finished or completed. ▪ The battle was at an end. [=over] ▪ We would like to see this matter at an end. ◊If you bring something to an end or bring an end to something, you stop, finish, or complete it. ▪ She brought the concert to an end with a piano solo. ▪ Negotiations brought an end to the conflict. ◊If you put an end to something, you cause it to stop or prevent it from continuing. ▪ They promise to put an end to unfair policies. ▪ The new mayor vowed to put an end to the violence. ◊Something comes to an end when it stops or finishes. ▪ After three weeks the strike finally came to an end. ▪ Summer always seems to come to an end much too quickly. ▪ The curtain fell as the play came to an end. ◊If there is no end in sight, the point at which something will be finished is not known. ▪ There is no end in sight to this heat wave. ▪ Prices continue to go up with no end in sight.
4 [count] : the point at which someone is no longer living : death ▪ He came to a tragic end [=he died] in a freak accident. ▪ The doctors told her that the end was near. [=that she would die soon] —sometimes used with meet ▪ He met his end [=he died] in the icy water. ▪ She met an untimely end.
5 [count] : a goal or purpose ▪ Our ultimate end [=aim] in sponsoring the event is to raise money for charity. ▪ corrupt leaders who use their power for their own ends ▪ There are several ways to achieve/accomplish the same end. ◊If something is an end in itself, it is something that you do because you want to and not because it will help you achieve or accomplish something else. ▪ She started exercising for her health, but she enjoyed it so much that exercising became an end in itself. ▪ For him, taking classes was an end in itself. ◊If the end justifies the means, a desired result is so good or important that any method, even a morally bad one, may be used to achieve it. ▪ They believe that the end justifies the means and will do anything to get their candidate elected.
6 [count] American football : a player whose position is at the end of the line of scrimmage —see also end run, split ends, tight end
7 [count] : a specific part of a project, activity, etc. ▪ She is in the creative end of the business. ▪ It's important to know what's going on in all ends of a business. ; especially : the part of a project, activity, etc., that you are responsible for ▪ Let me know if you have any problems at your end. —usually used with keep up or hold up ▪ He promised to keep up his end of the agreement. [=he promised to do what he had agreed to do] ▪ You can count on her to hold up her end. [=to do what she is supposed to do]
8 [count] : any one of the places connected by a telephone call ▪ She picked up the phone and heard an unfamiliar voice at the other end. ▪ I can't hear you very well—there is a lot of noise at this end.
9 ends [plural] : parts of something that are left after the main part has been used ▪ a quilt made from bits and ends of fabric —see also loose end, odds and ends
a light at the end of the tunnel —see 1light
at the end of the day
informal : when all things are considered : in the end ▪ It was a difficult decision, but at the end of the day, we knew we made the right choice.
at (your) wits'/wit's end —see wit
burn the candle at both ends —see 1burn
come to a bad end
1 : to end up in a bad situation because of your actions ▪ If he keeps living this way he's sure to come to a bad end.
2 : to die in an unpleasant way ▪ According to legend, more than one person came to a bad end because of her.
2 : to die in an unpleasant way ▪ According to legend, more than one person came to a bad end because of her.
end to end
: with ends touching each other ▪ Put the two small tables end to end. ▪ railroad cars lined up end to end
go off the deep end —see 1deep
in the end
1 : finally or after a long time ▪ We worked hard, and in the end [=ultimately], we achieved our goal.
2 : when all things are considered ▪ He thought about moving to the city, but in the end, decided to stay where he was. ▪ In the end, what really matters in a relationship is trust.
2 : when all things are considered ▪ He thought about moving to the city, but in the end, decided to stay where he was. ▪ In the end, what really matters in a relationship is trust.
make ends meet
: to pay for the things that you need to live when you have little money ▪ We had a hard time making ends meet.
make your hair stand on end —see hair
never/not hear the end of it —see hear
not the end of the world
informal ◊If something is not the end of the world, it is not as terrible or unpleasant as it seems to be. ▪ It won't be the end of the world if it rains on the day of the wedding. ▪ Losing your job does not have to be the end of the world.
on end
1 : without interruption ▪ For days on end [=for many days] she didn't answer the phone.
2 : in an upright position : not lying flat ▪ We set the bricks on end around the garden. ▪ His skis stood on end in the corner.
2 : in an upright position : not lying flat ▪ We set the bricks on end around the garden. ▪ His skis stood on end in the corner.
on/at the receiving end —see receive
the end of the line or the end of the road
informal : the point or time when someone or something stops or cannot continue : the end ▪ A loss in the primary elections will mean the end of the road for his campaign. ▪ It will be the end of the line for me unless there are some changes around here. ▪ They reached the end of the road as a couple [=their relationship was over] a long time ago.
the end of time
the end of your rope or chiefly Brit the end of your tether
informal : a state in which you are not able to deal with a problem, difficult situation, etc., any longer ▪ It was clear from her outburst that she was at the end of her rope. ▪ I've been dealing with their lies for too long. I'm at the end of my rope.
the ends of the earth
: places in the world that are very far away from cities, large groups of people, etc. : the most remote places in the world —used figuratively ▪ He would go to the ends of the earth [=he would do anything] to please her. ▪ We will search the ends of the earth [=everywhere; for a long time] if we have to.
the short end of the stick —see 1stick
the wrong end of the stick —see 1stick
(to) no end
: a lot : a great deal ▪ It pleases me to no end [=very much] to see you so happy. ▪ We've had no end of trouble finding somewhere to live.
to that/this end
formal : as a way of dealing with or doing something ▪ We want to save the building. To this end, we have hired someone to assess its current state.
to/till/until the bitter end —see 1bitter