end

[[t]e̱nd[/t]]

♦

ends, ending, ended

1) N-SING: the N, usu prep N, N of n The end of something such as a period of time, an event, a book, or a film is the last part of it or the final point in it.

The ₤5 banknote was first issued at the end of the 18th century...

The report is expected by the end of the year...

You will have the chance to ask questions at the end.

2) V-ERG When a situation, process, or activity ends, or when something or someone ends it, it reaches its final point and stops.

The meeting quickly ended and Steve and I left the room...

[V n] Talks have resumed to try to end the fighting...

[V n] She began to weep. That ended our discussion.

Derived words:

ending N-SING usu the N of n

The ending of a marriage by death is different in many ways from an ending occasioned by divorce.

3) N-COUNT: usu sing, oft N to/of n An end to something or the end of it is the act or result of stopping it so that it does not continue any longer.

The French government today called for an end to the violence...

I was worried she would walk out or bring the interview to an end...

Francis fined him two weeks' wages and said: `That's the end of the matter.'

4) V-ERG If you say that someone or something ends a period of time in a particular way, you are indicating what the final situation was like. You can also say that a period of time ends in a particular way.

[V n prep/adv] The markets ended the week on a quiet note...

[V n prep/adv] British Gas shares ended the day 1p up at 287p...

[V prep] The evening ended with a dramatic display of fireworks. [Also V n by -ing, V n -ing]

5) VERB If a period of time ends, it reaches its final point.

Its monthly reports on program trading usually come out about three weeks after each month ends...

They hired eight college graduates to start work after the college year ends in March.

6) V-ERG If something such as a book, speech, or performance ends with a particular thing or the writer or performer ends it with that thing, its final part consists of the thing mentioned.

[V with/on n] His statement ended with the words: `Pray for me.'...

[V with/on n] The book ends on a lengthy description of Hawaii...

[V n with/on n] Dawkins ends his discussion with a call for liberation...

[V with quote] The memo ends: `I am sorry if this seems a trifling point about which to be writing to you.'

7) VERB If a situation or event ends in a particular way, it has that particular result.

[V in n] The incident could have ended in tragedy...

[V in n] The match ended in a draw...

[V with n -ing] Our conversations ended with him saying he would try to be more understanding...

[V adv/adj] My own view is that we can have a relationship without worrying where it will end...

[V adv/adj] Shares ended 1.7 per cent firmer on the Frankfurt exchange.

8) N-COUNT: with supp The two ends of something long and narrow are the two points or parts of it that are furthest away from each other.

The company is planning to place surveillance equipment at both ends of the tunnel...

A typical fluorescent lamp is a tube with metal electrodes at each end.

9) N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft N of n The end of a long, narrow object such as a finger or a pencil is the tip or smallest edge of it, usually the part that is furthest away from you.

He tapped the ends of his fingers together...

She let the long cone of ash hang at the end of her cigarette.

Syn:

tip

10) VERB If an object ends with or in a particular thing, it has that thing on its tip or point, or as its last part.

[V with/in n] It has three pairs of legs, each ending in a large claw.

11) VERB A journey, road, or river that ends at a particular place stops there and goes no further.

[V prep/adv] The road ended at a T-junction...

[V prep/adv] The journey ends in the ancient city of Marrakesh. [Also V]

12) N-COUNT: with supp, oft N of n End is used to refer to either of the two extreme points of a scale, or of something that you are considering as a scale.

At the other end of the social scale was the grocer, the village's only merchant...

The agreement has been criticised by extremist groups on both ends of the political spectrum.

13) N-COUNT: supp N The other end is one of two places that are connected because people are communicating with each other by telephone or writing, or are travelling from one place to the other.

When he answered it, Ferguson was at the other end...

There was silence at the other end of the line...

Make sure to meet them at the other end.

14) N-COUNT: usu sing, usu supp N If you refer to a particular end of a project or piece of work, you mean a part or aspect of it, for example a part of it that is done by a particular person or in a particular place. [SPOKEN]

You take care of your end, kid, I'll take care of mine...

Let's go up to the office and settle the business end of things.

15) N-COUNT: usu supp N An end is the purpose for which something is done or towards which you are working.

The police force is being manipulated for political ends...

Now the government is trying another policy designed to achieve the same end.

16) VERB If you say that something ends at a particular point, you mean that it is applied or exists up to that point, and no further.

[V adv/prep] Helen is also 25 and from Birmingham, but the similarity ends there...

[V adv/prep] Does responsibility end at the fitting of car seats?

17) N-COUNT: usu sing, usu supp N You can refer to someone's death as their end, especially when you are talking about the way that they died or might die. [LITERARY]

Soon after we had spoken to this man he had met a violent end.

18) VERB If you end by doing something or end in a particular state, you do that thing or get into that state even though you did not originally intend to.

[V by -ing] They ended by making themselves miserable...

[V adv/prep] They'll probably end back on the streets.

19) PHRASE: V inflects If someone ends it all, they kill themselves.

He grew suicidal, thinking up ways to end it all.

20) PHRASE: n PHR n If you describe something as, for example, the deal to end all deals or the film to end all films, you mean that it is very important or successful, and that compared to it all other deals or films seem second-rate.

It was going to be a party to end all parties.

...the sale to end all sales at Harrods.

21) PHRASE: v-link PHR If something is at an end, it has finished and will not continue.

The court has passed sentence and the matter is now at an end...

The recession is definitely at an end.

22) PHRASE: V inflects If something comes to an end, it stops.

The cold war came to an end.

23) PHRASE: PHR with cl You say at the end of the day when you are talking about what happens after a long series of events or what appears to be the case after you have considered the relevant facts. [INFORMAL]

At the end of the day it's up to the Germans to decide...

At the end of the day, the board's not going to be too concerned with three or four more dollars.

24) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone has gone off the deep end, you mean that their mind has stopped working in a normal way and their behaviour has become very strange as a result. [INFORMAL]

I'm not sure she believes me. She probably just thinks I've gone off the deep end.

25) PHRASE: V inflects If you are thrown in at the deep end, you are put in a completely new situation without any help or preparation. If you jump in at the deep end, you go into a completely new situation without any help or preparation. [mainly BRIT]

It's a superb job. You get thrown in at the deep end and it's all down to you...

The reason many people fail on diets is that they jump in at the deep end, making a complete change to their eating habits.

26) PHRASE: to/until PHR If you do something to the bitter end or to the very end, you continue to do it for as long as you can, although it may be very unpleasant or dangerous.

We will fight to the bitter end to ensure our children get what is rightfully theirs.

27) PHRASE: PHR with cl You say in the end when you are saying what is the final result of a series of events, or what is your final conclusion after considering all the relevant facts.

I toyed with the idea of calling the police, but in the end I didn't...

Benny thought the president was sincere and sensitive, but, in the end, that's not what counts.

28) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If you consider something to be an end in itself, you do it because it seems desirable and not because it is likely to lead to something else.

While he had originally traveled in order to study, traveling had become an end in itself.

29) PHRASE: V inflects If you have to keep your end up, or to keep up your end of something, you have to do something as well as other people, or as well as you are expected to do it. [INFORMAL]

I had to keep my end up with other professors in the faculty...

He had trouble keeping up his end of a technical discussion.

30) PHRASE: make inflects If you find it difficult to make ends meet, you can only just manage financially because you hardly have enough money for the things you need.

With Betty's salary they barely made ends meet.

31) PHRASE: PHR after v, oft PHR of n No end means a lot. [INFORMAL]

The problem was causing the poor woman no end of misery...

Teachers inform me that Tracey's behaviour has improved no end.

32) PHRASE: pl-n PHR When something happens for hours, days, weeks, or years on end, it happens continuously and without stopping for the amount of time that is mentioned.

He is a wonderful companion and we can talk for hours on end...

I spend days on end in this studio.

33) PHRASE: PHR after v Something that is on end is upright, instead of in its normal or natural position, for example lying down, flat, or on its longest side.

34) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n To put an end to something means to cause it to stop.

Only a political solution could put an end to the violence.

35) PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR for n If a process or person has reached the end of the road, they are unable to progress any further.

Given the results of the vote, is this the end of the road for the hardliners in Congress?

36) PHRASE: PHR after v (emphasis) If you say that something will happen or be true until the end of time or to the end of time, you are emphasizing that it will always happen or always be true.

We can assume that the moon will continue to go around the earth until the end of time...

I'll love her till the end of time.

37) PHRASE: V inflects, oft it v-link PHR if If you say that something bad is not the end of the world, you are trying to stop yourself or someone else being so upset by it, by suggesting that it is not the worst thing that could happen.

Obviously I'd be disappointed if we don't make it, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

38) the end of your tether → see tether

to burn the candle at both ends → see candle

to make your hair stand on end → see hair

a means to an end → see mean

to be on the receiving end → see receive

to get the wrong end of the stick → see stick

to come to a sticky end → see sticky

to be at your wits' end → see wit

Phrasal Verbs:

- end up