ending
a good beginning makes a good ending
Being well-prepared and focused at the start of something often leads to success. Keeping in mind that a good beginning makes a good ending, I worked really hard on my outline before I began my research paper.
See also: beginning, ending, good, make
dead end
1. noun The end of a road, path, or other passage that does not have an exit or other passages attached to it. I knew my GPS was wrong when it told me to turn onto a road that came to a dead end.
2. noun By extension, a situation in which no more progress or advancement is possible. I'm afraid we've come to a dead end in our investigation.
3. adjective Prohibitive of or offering no possibility for progress or advancement. Sometimes hyphenated. Jerry decided he couldn't spend another minute working at that dead end job with no possibility for a promotion. The police received a lot of dead-end leads, but nothing that led them to the killer.
4. verb To end in a way that prevents any possibility of further progress or advancement. Often hyphenated. This street dead-ends up ahead, so we'll have to turn around.
See also: dead, end
end in (something)
To culminate in something; to have something as the final part or element. Opening night ended in disaster when the lead actress forgot her lines. As usual, our family dinner ended in a big argument, and everyone went home angry. I'm looking for a seven-letter word that ends in E.
See also: end
end it (all)
To kill oneself. If they diagnose me with a terminal illness, I'd rather end it all now, instead of suffering. Poor Dave is just too intense about his schoolwork. He's ready to end it all if he gets a B+! This is the message to all the young people who are thinking of trying to escape the pain by just ending it: it gets better.
See also: end
end it all
To kill oneself; to end one's life. I was in a dark place, ready to end it all, when I met a friend who helped get me back on my feet.
See also: all, end
end up
1. To reach some conclusion, state, or situation due to a particular course of action. Thanks to that traffic jam, I ended up being late to the meeting. Sara has always loved to read so I'm not surprised that she ended up an English major. I really think that you and your high school sweetheart will end up together.
2. To take some course of action, perhaps reluctantly. Thanks to bad weather, we ended up by leaving our beach house ahead of schedule.
3. To conclude something. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "end" and "up." Well, I'd say that big fight pretty much ends up our family dinner.
4. To reach a particular location, often unintentionally. We wanted to go to the beach on Saturday, but because traffic was so bad, we ended up at the mall instead. When my car's engine overheated, I ended up at the mechanic instead of my big job interview.
5. To be with someone, often by default. It seems that we've ended up with the most boring tour guide on the planet. He's seriously putting me to sleep.
See also: end, up
end up (by) (doing something)
1. To take some course of action, perhaps reluctantly. Thanks to bad weather, we ended up by leaving our beach house ahead of schedule.
2. To conclude something with a particular action. Well, as usual, our family ended up by having a big fight after Thanksgiving dinner.
See also: end, up
end up as (something)
To conclude something in a particular state or role. I really think that you and your high school sweetheart will end up as husband and wife. I know I'm an English major, but I really don't want to end up as a teacher.
See also: end, up
end up at (some place)
To reach a particular location, often unintentionally. We wanted to go to the beach on Saturday, but because traffic was so bad, we ended up at the mall instead. When my car's engine overheated, I ended up at the mechanic instead of my big job interview. Hey, how was Saturday night? Where did you end up at?
See also: end, up
end up in the knacker's yard
To be in or enter a state of ruin or failure due to having become useless or obsolete. Refers to a slaughterhouse for old or injured horses. Once a booming industry before the age of the Internet, home video rental has largely ended up in the knacker's yard these days.
See also: end, up, yard
end up in the poorhouse
1. dated Literally, to begin living in a publicly-maintained institution for those who are poor. People don't actually end up in the poorhouse anymore—this isn't Dickensian England.
2. By extension, to have no money. Usually used hyperbolically. With a mortgage payment that high, you guys will end up in the poorhouse!
See also: end, poorhouse, up
end with (something)
To conclude something with a particular action. Well, as usual, our family dinner ended with a big fight.
See also: end
rear end
1. noun Literally, the rear-most part of something. There is a dining car at the rear end of the train.
2. noun, euphemism By extension, the buttocks. Does my rear end look big in these pants?
3. verb To hit another car from behind with one's own. Usually hyphenated. The other driver was definitely at fault—I was just sitting at a red light when he rear-ended me!
See also: end, rear
rear-ender
A minor car accident in which minimal damage is incurred, especially to the front and rear bumpers of the two cars involved. Michelle was a new driver so she was extremely upset when she had her first accident. Luckily, it was just a rear-ender, so there was no real damage to either car involved. I know a mechanic who specializes in providing affordable repairs for scrapes, scratches, and rear-enders. You need to start slowing down much sooner when you're coming up to a red light, or sooner or later you'll end up causing a rear-ender with the car ahead of you.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
end something up
to terminate something; to bring something to an end. He ended his vacation up by going to the beach. She ended up her speech with a poem.
See also: end, up
end up
to come to an end. When will all this end up? I think that the party will have to end up about midnight.
See also: end, up
end up
(somewhere) and wind up (somewhere) to finish at a certain place. If you don't get straightened out, you'll end up in jail. I fell and hurt myself, and I wound up in the hospital.
See also: end, up
end up
( somewhere ) and wind up( somewhere ) to finish at a certain place. If you don't get straightened out, you'll end up in jail. I fell and hurt myself, and I wound up in the hospital.
See also: end, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
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]
See also: dead, end
end up
Arrive at, result in, finish. For example, He thought he'd end up living in the city, or We don't know how Nancy will end up. [First half of 1900s] Also see wind up.
See also: end, up
rear end
1. The back part of anything, especially a vehicle, as in There's a large dent in the rear end of the car.
2. The buttocks, as in I'm afraid these pants don't fit my rear end. The noun rear alone has been used in both these senses, the first since the late 1700s and the second since the mid-1900s. The addition of end occurred in the first half of the 1900s.
See also: end, rear
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
end it all
If someone ends it all, they kill themselves. Things got so bad, I even thought of ending it all. I desperately wanted to end it all, but I had a little boy who was totally dependent upon me.
See also: all, end
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
end it all
commit suicide. 1993 Ray Shell iCED Quentin thought…he'd jump off the Brooklyn Bridge and make the papers. At least he'd end it all in a blaze of media glory.
See also: all, end
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
ˈend it all
kill yourself; commit suicide: After years of suffering, she had decided to end it all.See also: all, end
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
end up
v.
1. To bring something to a close: The manager ended up the meeting by thanking us for all of our hard work.
2. To arrive somewhere, especially when not anticipated: We lost our way and ended up downtown. If you end up in our area tonight, feel free to drop in.
3. To arrive in some situation or condition as a result of a course of action: If you keep going outside in this weather without shoes, you'll end up catching a cold.
See also: end, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
rear (end)
n. the tail end; the buttocks. (Euphemistic.) The dog bit her in the rear end.
See also: end, rear
rear-ender
and back-ender n. an automobile wreck where one car runs into the back of another. (see also fender-bender.) It wasn’t a bad accident, just a rear-ender. The rain caused a couple of “back-enders,” but there were no serious accidents.
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
end it all
To commit suicide.
See also: all, end
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
- a good beginning makes a good ending
- beginning
- for good measure
- (one) (has) never had it so good
- do (one) a/the world of good
- as good as new
- (as) good as new
- do no good
- be as good as new
- as good as it gets