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dead end

 - 4 dictionary results

dead end

 
Use dead end in a Sentence
–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.
Origin:
1885–90

dead-end

  [ded-end]
–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.
–verb (used without object)
4. to come to a dead end: The road dead-ends at the lake.
Origin:
1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To dead end
dead end  
n.  

  1. An end of a passage, such as a street or pipe, that affords no exit.

  2. A point beyond which no movement or progress can be made; an impasse.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

dead end

  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]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
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