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Synonyms

be-all and end-all

American  
[bee-awl uhnd end-awl] / ˈbiˌɔl ənd ˈɛndˌɔl /

noun

  1. the central and all-important part.

    His work was the be-all and end-all of his existence.
be-all and end-all British  

noun

  1. the ultimate aim or justification

    to provide help for others is the be-all and end-all of this group

  2. humorous a person or thing considered to be beyond improvement

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of be-all and end-all

First recorded in 1595–1605

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.