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• dead end
  dead end

  noun

  something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
• dead-end
  dead-end

  adjective

  terminating in a dead end.

dead end

¹ American  

noun

1. something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.

2. a position that offers no hope of progress; blind alley; cul-de-sac.

   His theory led him to a dead end.

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dead-end ² American  

[ded-end] / ˈdɛdˈɛnd /

adjective

1. terminating in a dead end.

   a dead-end street.

2. Also dead-ended. having no possibility for or hope of progress, advancement, etc..

   a low-level, dead-end job.

3. leading a life in the slums.

   growing up as a tough dead-end kid.

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verb (used without object)

1. to come to a dead end.

   The road dead-ends at the lake.

dead end British  

noun

1. another name for cul-de-sac

2. a situation in which further progress is impossible

3.  dead-end.  ( as modifier )

   a dead-end street

   a dead-end job

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verb

1. (intr) to come to a dead end

dead end Idioms  

1. A passage that has no exit, as in This street's a dead end, so turn back . [Late 1800s]

2. An impasse or blind alley, allowing no progress to be made. For example, This job is a dead end; I'll never be able to advance . [c. 1920]

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Etymology

Origin of dead end¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of dead-end²

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Owners Jingye seemed reluctant to ensure continued operations, and negotiations with the Chinese company to invest in new operations alongside government support hit a dead end.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

If the supply of schools doesn’t keep pace, tens of thousands of families will face the same dead end Florida families did—scholarships in hand but nowhere to spend them.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

The fact that Vance and his team weren’t ready even to stay over one night suggests either that they were very naive or that they knew the trip was a dead end.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Especially when that dead end is surrounded by crashing surf on empty beaches, dramatic cliffs and lonely trails through forests thick with redwoods.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025

Cuz if this is a dead end, I got nothing more to offer and she ain’t offering nothing neither.

From "The Knife of Never Letting Go" by Patrick Ness

Related Words

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• closed