end

¹

[ end ]

noun

1. the last part or extremity, lengthwise, of anything that is longer than it is wide or broad:

   the end of a street;

   the end of a rope.

2. a point, line, or limitation that indicates the full extent, degree, etc., of something; limit; bounds:

   kindness without end;

   to walk from end to end of a city.

3. a part or place at or adjacent to an extremity: the west end of town.

   at the end of the table;

   the west end of town.

4. the furthermost imaginable place or point:

   an island at the very end of the world.

   Synonyms: terminus, boundary, extremity

5. termination; conclusion:

   The journey was coming to an end.

6. the concluding part:

   The end of her speech had to be cut short because of time.

7. an intention or aim:

   to gain one's ends.

8. the object for which a thing exists; purpose:

   The happiness of the people is the end of government.

9. an outcome or result:

   What is to be the end of all this bickering?

10. termination of existence; death:

    He met a horrible end.

11. a cause of death, destruction, or ruin:

    Another war would be the end of civilization.

12. a remnant or fragment: ends and trimmings.

    mill end;

    ends and trimmings.

13. a share or part in something:

    He does his end of the job very well.

14. Textiles. a warp thread running vertically and interlaced with the filling yarn in the woven fabric.
15. Football.
    1. either of the linemen: stationed farthest from the center.
    2. the position played by this lineman.
16. Archery. the number of arrows to be shot by a competitor during one turn in a match.
17. Cricket. a wicket, especially the one where the batsman is taking a turn.
18. a unit of a game, as in curling or lawn bowling.
19. Kantianism. any rational being, regarded as worthy to exist for its own sake.
20. either half of a domino.
21. Knots. the part of a rope, beyond a knot or the like, that is not used.
22. the end, Slang. the ultimate; the utmost of good or bad:

    His stupidity is the end.

verb (used with object)

1. to bring to an end or conclusion:

   We ended the discussion on a note of optimism.

2. to put an end to; terminate:

   This was the battle that ended the war.

3. to form the end of:

   This passage ends the novel.

4. to cause the demise of; kill:

   A bullet through the heart ended him.

5. to constitute the most outstanding or greatest possible example or instance of (usually used in the infinitive):

   You just committed the blunder to end all blunders.

verb (used without object)

1. to come to an end; terminate; cease:

   The road ends at Rome.

2. to issue or result:

   Extravagance ends in want.

3. to reach or arrive at a final condition, circumstance, or goal (often followed by up ): to end as a happy person.

   to end up in the army;

   to end as a happy person.

adjective

1. final or ultimate:

   the end result.

end

²

[ end ]

verb (used with object)

, British Dialect.

1. to put wheat, hay, or other grain into a stack or barn.

end-

³

1. variant of endo- before a vowel:

   endameba.

end.

⁴

abbreviation for

1. endorsed.

-end

¹

suffix forming nouns

1. See -and

end-

²

combining_form

1. a variant of endo-

end

³

/ ɛnd /

noun

1. the extremity of the length of something, such as a road, line, etc
2. the surface at either extremity of a three-dimensional object
3. the extreme extent, limit, or degree of something
4. the most distant place or time that can be imagined

   the ends of the earth

5. the time at which something is concluded
6. 1. the last section or part
   2. ( as modifier ) finalterminalultimate

      the end office

7. a share or part

   his end of the bargain

8. often plural a remnant or fragment (esp in the phrase odds and ends )
9. a final state, esp death; destruction
10. the purpose of an action or existence
11. sport either of the two defended areas of a playing field, rink, etc
12. bowls curling a section of play from one side of the rink to the other
13. American football a player at the extremity of the playing line; wing
14. all ends up
    totally or completely
15. a sticky end informal.
    an unpleasant death
16. at a loose end or at loose ends
    without purpose or occupation
17. at an end
    exhausted or completed
18. at the end of the day
    See day
19. come to an end
    to become completed or exhausted
20. end on
    1. with the end pointing towards one
    2. with the end adjacent to the end of another object
21. go off the deep end informal.
    to lose one's temper; react angrily
22. get one's end away slang.
    to have sexual intercourse
23. in the end
    finally
24. keep one's end up
    1. to sustain one's part in a joint enterprise
    2. to hold one's own in an argument, contest, etc
25. make ends meet or make both ends meet
    to spend no more than the money one has
26. no end or no end of informal.
    (intensifier)

    I had no end of work

27. on end
    1. upright
    2. without pause or interruption
28. the end informal.
    1. the worst, esp something that goes beyond the limits of endurance
    2. the best in quality
29. the end of the road
    the point beyond which survival or continuation is impossible
30. throw someone in at the deep end
    to put someone into a new situation, job, etc, without preparation or introduction

verb

1. to bring or come to a finish; conclude
2. to die or cause to die
3. tr to surpass; outdo

   a novel to end all novels

4. end it all informal.
   to commit suicide

end

⁴

/ ɛnd /

verb

1. tr to put (hay or grain) into a barn or stack

Derived Forms

• ˈender, noun

Other Words From

• end·er noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of end¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English ende; cognate with Old Frisian enda, Middle Dutch e(i)nde, Old Saxon endi, Old High German anti, German Ende, Old Norse endi(r), Gothic andeis “end,” from unattested Germanic anthjá-; akin to Sanskrit ánta- “end”

Origin of end²

First recorded in 1610–20; perhaps variant of dialect in “to harvest,” from Old English innian “to lodge, put up”; inn

Word History and Origins

Origin of end¹

Old English ende; related to Old Norse endir, Gothic andeis, Old High German endi, Latin antiae forelocks, Sanskrit antya last

Origin of end²

Old English innian ; related to Old High German innōn; see inn

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. at loose ends, without an occupation or plans; unsettled; uncertain:

   He spent two years wandering about the country at loose ends.

2. at one's wit's end, at the end of one's ideas or mental resources; perplexed: Also at one's wits' end.

   I'm at my wit's end with this problem.

3. end for end, in reverse position; inverted:

   The cartons were turned end for end.

4. end on, with the end next to or facing:

   He backed the truck until it was end on with the loading platform.

5. end to end, in a row with ends touching:

   The pipes were placed end to end on the ground.

6. go off the deep end, Informal. to act in a reckless or agitated manner; lose emotional control:

   She went off the deep end when she lost her job.

7. in the end, finally; after all:

   In the end they shook hands and made up.

8. keep / hold one's end up, to perform one's part or share adequately:

   The work is demanding, but he's holding his end up.

9. make an end of, to conclude; stop:

   Let's make an end of this foolishness and get down to work.

10. make ends meet, to live within one's means: Also make both ends meet.

    Despite her meager income, she tried to make ends meet.

11. no end, Informal. very much or many:

    They were pleased no end by the warm reception.

12. on end,
    1. having the end down; upright:

       to stand a box on end.

    2. continuously; successively:

       They talked for hours on end.

13. put an end to, to cause to stop; terminate; finish:

    The advent of sound in motion pictures put an end to many a silent star's career.

14. at the end of the day. at the end of the day ( def ).

More idioms and phrases containing end

• all's well that ends well
• at loose ends
• at one's wit's end
• be-all and end-all
• beginning of the end
• bitter end
• burn the candle at both ends
• can't see beyond the end of one's nose
• come to an end
• dead end
• go off the deep end
• hair stand on end
• hold one's end up
• in the end
• light at the end of the tunnel
• make ends meet
• never hear the end of
• odds and ends
• on end
• on the receiving end
• play both ends against the middle
• put an end to
• rear end
• short end (of the stick)
• tail end
• wrong end of the stick

Synonym Study

End, close, conclusion, finish, outcome refer to the termination of something. End implies a natural termination or completion, or an attainment of purpose: the end of a day, of a race; to some good end. Close often implies a planned rounding off of something in process: the close of a conference. Conclusion suggests a decision or arrangement: All evidence leads to this conclusion; the conclusion of peace terms. Finish emphasizes completion of something begun: a fight to the finish. Outcome suggests the issue of something that was in doubt: the outcome of a game. See aim.

Example Sentences

The second cites a law enacted after the end of the civil war which makes it a crime to “instrumentalise the wounds of the national tragedy”.

From BBC

So, at both ends it is a case of minor details; mistakes at the back, profligate finishing up front.

From BBC

So far, the US president-elect has given very few clues as to how he intends to end the conflict, beyond a typically vainglorious promise to end the war in 24 hours.

From BBC

With Smith facing likely defeat and, with it, possibly the end of his leadership, he turned to Prescott - the lifelong trade unionist - to win over waverers.

From BBC

Through at least the end of the month, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting an increased chance for above-average rainfall across much of California, but predictions stretching into mid-December become less clear.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• closure
• conclusion
• finish
• issue
• outcome
• resolution
• result
• retirement

More About End

What is a basic definition of end?

An end is a conclusion or a last part of a long object. To end is to cease. The word end has many other senses as a verb, noun, and adjective and is used in several idioms.

End is a very general word that means a conclusion or a part that is near the conclusion. For example, the end of the summer is the exact moment that it stops being summer, while the end of a movie is the last scene or even the last act. End is often used figuratively to mean death, which is the end of a person’s life.

• Real-life examples: The end of World War II occurred in 1945. The credits usually happen at the end of a movie. Sunset signals the end of daytime.
• Used in a sentence: I liked the beginning of the book, but it got boring near the end. 

In a similar sense, end is used as a verb to mean to cease or to stop permanently or put a stop to something.

• Real-life examples: You can end a fight by walking away. A class often ends when the bell rings. Sometimes, though, the teacher ends the class early and lets all the students leave.
• Used in a sentence: The song was just getting good when it suddenly ended.  

As a noun, end can also mean a last part of something. This sense is used to describe objects that are longer than they are wide. For example, a pencil has an eraser on one end and graphite to write with at the other end.

• Real-life examples: Most power cables have one end that plugs into an electronic device and another end that plugs into the wall. You usually walk across a hallway from one end to the other. A soccer field has goals at each end.
• Used in a sentence: Always point the sharp end of the scissors away from people when you carry them.

Where does end come from?

The first records of end come from before the 900s. It comes from the Old English ende and is related to many other words with the same meaning, including the Old Norse endir, the Gothic andeis, and the Old High German anti.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to end?

• ender (noun)
• ending (noun, present tense verb)
• endless (adjective)
• endlessly (adverb)
• unending (adjective)

What are some synonyms for end?

• conclusion
• stop
• finish
• resolution
• cease
• conclude

What are some words that share a root or word element with end? 

• end game
• end of the line
• end up
• in the end
• bitter end
• the end justifies the means

What are some words that often get used in discussing end?

• beginning
• start
• death
• game
• road

How is end used in real life?

End is a very common word that most often means a finish or to conclude something.

Spoke to a young man in Queens yesterday who was struggling with the end of a long-term relationship. He was 22. I told him that he had a ton to look forward to and that the intensity decreases over time. It does. And he does.

— Andrew Yang🧢🗽🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) January 17, 2021

Admittedly, the experiment of trying to get my 84 year old dad to work on a shared Google doc ended badly.

— Julie Cohen (@FilmmakerJulie) April 4, 2018

The HOUSEWORK!!! It never ends.

— Lisa Francesca Nand (@lfnand) January 14, 2021

Try using end!

Is end used correctly in the following sentence?

I like to eat dessert at the end of a meal so that the meal finishes on a sweet note.