end

1 /end/ noun (C)

1 LAST PART the last part of something such as a period of time, activity, book, or film: He's leaving at the end of October. | I found the end of the movie very disappointing. | from beginning to end: Her story was a pack of lies from beginning to end.

2 FURTHEST POINT the furthest point of a place or object: He sat at one end of the table and I sat at the other. | The street is closed off at both ends. | a long pole with a hole at one end | end to end (=in a line with the ends touching): Put the two tables end to end.

3 FINISHED a situation in which something is finished or no longer exists: the end of all my dreams | be at an end (=finished): The long hot summer was at last at an end. | come to an end (=finished and no longer continuing): That job came to an end last month. | put an end to: Winning the competition put an end to his financial problems. | to the end of time literary (=for ever)

4 AIM (usually plural) the result that you hope to achieve: She'll stop at nothing to achieve her own ends. | to that end formal: Joel wants to buy a car and is saving money to that end. | an end in itself (=something you aim to do because you want to, not in order to get other advantages): Learning to play the piano was an end in itself for me. | the end justifies the means (=the result you want makes acceptable the bad things you do in order to get it)

5 in the end after a period of time; finally: In the end, I decided that I wouldn't go after all.

—see lastly

6 days/hours/weeks etc on end for many days, hours etc without stopping: It snowed for days on end.

7 no end spoken very much: Thanks for the letter - it cheered me up no end.

8 no end of spoken a lot of something: We've had no end of problems with the house since we moved.

9 put/stand sth on end to put something in a position so that its longest edge is upright

—see also: make sb's hair stand on end hair (6)

10 PART OF AN ACTIVITY informal the particular part of a job, activity, place etc that you are involved in, or that affects you: She works in the sales end of things. | Let's hope they keep their end of the bargain. | at your end spoken (=where you are): What's the weather like at your end?

11 SPORT one of the two halves of a sports field that a team defends or attacks: The teams change ends at half-time.

12 DEATH (countable usually singular) a word meaning death, used because you want to avoid saying this directly: James was with his father at the end.

13 at the end of the day spoken used to give your opinion after you have discussed all the possibilities of a situation or problem: At the end of the day, it's his responsibility, and there's nothing you can do.

14 be at the end of your tether/rope to have no more patience or strength to deal with something: I'm at the end of my tether with their constant arguing.

15 it's not the end of the world spoken used to say that a possible problem is not too serious or bad: After all, it's not the end of the world if you fail this test.

16 hold/keep your end up BrE informal to continue to be brave or act effectively in a difficult situation

17 make (both) ends meet to have just enough money to buy what you need: Since Mike lost his job, we can hardly make ends meet.

18 the end of the road/line the end of a process or activity: I tried to tell him that this defeat was not the end of the road, that football was only a game.

19 the (absolute) end BrE spoken used to show disapproval of someone or something in an amused way: Look at this untidy room - you're the absolute end!

20 living end AmE spoken used as an expression of strong approval or disapproval: What will she do next? She's the living end!

21 do sth to the bitter end to keep doing something until you have tried every possible method: We'll fight this decision to the bitter end.

22 go to the ends of the earth to do everything you can, even if it is very difficult, in order to have or achieve something: I'd go to the ends of the earth to be with him.

23 get/have your end away BrE slang to have sex

—see also: be-all and end all be 2 (10), dead end, go off at the deep end deep 1 (17), be at a loose end loose 1 (14), odds and ends, be on the sharp end of sharp 1 (21), come to a sticky end sticky (8), the tail end of a queue/meeting etc tail 1 (9), jump/be thrown in at the deep end deep 1 (16), get the wrong end of the stick wrong 1 (12), at your wits' end wit (6) 2 verb

1 (I) to finish or stop: World War II ended in 1945. | The film ended with the heroine dying.

2 (T) to make something finish or stop: Jane decided it was time to end the relationship with Bob.

3 end your days/life if you end your days in a particular place or doing a particular thing, you spend the last part of your life there or doing that

4 end it all to kill yourself

end in sth phrasal verb (transitive not in passive) BrE spoken to have a particular result, or finish in a particular way: Their marriage ended in divorce. | it'll all end in tears BrE spoken (=used to warn that a situation will end in an unpleasant or unhappy way): This game will end in tears. I know it. end up phrasal verb (I) informal

1 to come to be in a particular situation or state, especially when you did not plan it: He'll end up in prison if he's not careful. | end up doing sth: We were going to go out, but ended up watching videos.

2 to arrive in a place you did not plan to go to: We got to Rome okay, but our luggage ended up in Paris.

end with phrasal verb (transitive not in passive) to come to be in a particular situation or state, especially when you did not plan it