end

END/ɛnd/

Pluralends

Verbends, ending, ended

15 meanings of end

Practice

1
final pointnouncountable
The last part of something, or the point farthest along it, like the end of a road or a stick.
Like the finish line of a race.
We reached the end of the road just before dark.
By the end of summer, the lake had dried up.
UsageSay at the end of the day. In the end means finally.
Similarfinish, close, conclusion, tip, extremity
Oppositebeginning, start (entry)
2
verbintransitive
To stop or come to a finish.
The game ends when the bell rings.
Wars must end at some point.
UsageSay a plan ends in failure or a path ends at the lake.
Similarfinish, stop, conclude, cease, close
Oppositebegin, start (entry), commence
3
nouncountable
The moment when an action or movement stops.
Like the moment a spinning top finally stops.
The end of the strike came as a relief to everyone.
People in the town just want an end to the fighting.
UsageSay put an end to something to stop it.
Similarconclusion, close, cessation, termination, finish
Oppositebeginning, start (entry), onset, commencement
4
make stopverbtransitive
To make something stop or finish.
The referee ended the match early.
They want to end the war.
UsageSay finish your homework, but end a war or a friendship.
Similarstop, terminate, discontinue, halt, abolish
Oppositebegin, start (entry), launch, continue
Note
5
goalnouncountable
A goal or purpose you are trying to reach.
Money was only a means to an end for her.
For her, the job was only ever a means to an end.
UsageOften in a means to an end.
Similarpurpose
Note
6
football positionnouncountable
A player who lines up at the far side of the line in football.
The end caught a long pass near the sideline.
Their best end blocked for the running back.
Note

Less common meanings

7
deathnouncountablewith the
The death of a person or animal.
The hero meets his end at the close of the story.
Sadly, the brave dog met its end protecting the family.
UsagePeople say someone met their end. The end is a soft way to say death.
Similardeath, demise, fate, doom
Oppositebirth
Note
8
nouncolloquialcountable
The part of a shared job or deal that one person or side does or is in charge of.
You promised to bring the drinks, so don't forget your end of the deal.
I finished my end of the school project, but my partner is still working on hers.
UsageSay hold up your end of the bargain.
Similarpart, share, side
Note
9
outcomenoun
The result or outcome of something.
No one could guess what the end of the court case would be.
The end of the matter was that we had to pay for the window.
Similaroutcome, result, upshot, culmination
Note
10
leftover piecenouncountable
A small piece left over from something larger.
Like the last crust left on a plate.
Don't throw away that end of bread.
She kept little ends of ribbon in a box.
UsageBest known in odds and ends.
Similarremnant, scrap, fragment, stub, stump
Note
11
curlingnouncountable
In curling, one round of play in which both teams slide all their stones and then count the score.
Our team scored two points in the first end.
The match was tied after six ends.
Note
12
cricketnouncountable
In cricket, either of the two ends of the pitch, where the bowler runs in from.
The fast bowler ran in from the far end and hit the stumps.
Fielders crossed over when play moved to the other end.
Note
13
moneynounslangplural
Money, in slang where people always say ends, never end.
He's working double shifts just to get his ends up before rent is due.
He took a second job because he needed more ends.
Similarcash, money, dough
Note
14
mathsnouncountable
In math, an imaginary far-off point that shows how an endless graph keeps spreading outward.
In graph theory, an endless straight line has two ends.
In math, an endless grid, like giant graph paper, has just one end.
Note
15
carpet yarnnouncountable
In weaving, one of the long threads that run the length of the cloth on a loom.
The weaver counted each end in the warp before starting.
A broken end can leave a flaw in the carpet.

Practice

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Origin

From Old English ende, going back to Proto-Germanic and an ancient root meaning "front." The verb comes from Old English endian, "to end."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The noun derives from Old English ende. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry includes Proto-Germanic and an ancient root meaning “front.” en.wiktionary.org
The verb derives from Old English endian, meaning “to end.” en.wiktionary.org