Dictionary

dead end en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) A street or path or tunnel that goes nowhere or is blocked on one end.
   • With a blast, take his cash before I dash and bash his head in / Dump him at the dead end, and that's just his luck 1991, “I Don't Give a Fuck”, in 2Pacalypse Now, performed by 2Pac:
   • That road comes to a dead end at the lake.
2. The inner end of a drift or tunnel.
   • The ventilation of dead ends — always a serious problem — has in some mines been an absolute necessity. At the Oriental Consols Gold Mine a crosscut at a depth of 2,600 ft. has been continued to over 1,400 ft. from the shaft, and at the No. 2 South Great Eastern Gold Mine crosscutting and driving has been carried on at depths of 1,750 ft. and 2,000 ft. In order to ventilate these dead ends blowers have been used to force air into the faces through lines of pipes. 1912 Queensland Annual Report of the Under Secretary for Mines for 1911. Brisbane, Australia. p.167
3. (figuratively) A position that offers no hope of change or progress.
   • Furthermore, this muscular liberal project is a dead end. It's a nostalgic grab for old certainties. 2005 September 11, Madeleine Bunting, “The muscular liberals are marching into a dead end”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • “[…]Fossil fuels are a dead end – environmentally and economically,” said António Guterres, the secretary general of the UN. 2022 May 18, Damian Carrington, “Critical climate indicators broke records in 2021, says UN”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Her father suggested that she decline the job because it was a dead end.
   • Russia calls talks a ‘dead end’ and it becomes clear that troop build-up is not a bluff to achieve other ends[.] 2022 January 13, Julian Borger, “What have Ukraine talks achieved, and is war now more likely?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
4. A split end in the hair.
   • Cut the ends of the hair once a month certain — no matter if you do cut but just the tips of a fourth of an inch, cut it. Cut off the dead ends every month as regularly as the new moon comes round. 1890, The Young Lady's Private Counselor, page 208:

Forms

Deriveds

genetic dead end · dead-ender

Relateds

no outlet · no through road

Synonyms

cul-de-sac · blind alley · impasse · cul-de-sac · impasse

Translations (127)

sh слијепа улица (street or path that goes nowhere) · nrf tchu-d'sa (street or path that goes nowhere) · ca carreró sense sortida (street or path that goes nowhere) · de Stichstraße (street or path that goes nowhere) · ms jalan mati (street or path that goes nowhere) · es punto muerto (position that offers no hope of progress) · ko 막다른 골 (position that offers no hope of progress) · es callejón (street or path that goes nowhere) · de Ende Gelände (position that offers no hope of progress) · th ทางตัน (street or path that goes nowhere) · scn curtigghiu (street or path that goes nowhere) · es callejón sin salida (position that offers no hope of progress) · nb blindgate (street or path that goes nowhere) · pt cul-de-sac (street or path that goes nowhere) · ja 袋小路 (street or path that goes nowhere) · ko 막다른 골목 (position that offers no hope of progress) · fr impasse (position that offers no hope of progress) · pt impasse (position that offers no hope of progress) · it stanca (position that offers no hope of progress) · tr çıkmaz sokak (street or path that goes nowhere) · sh слепа улица (street or path that goes nowhere) · pl ślepy zaułek (street or path that goes nowhere) · is blindgata (street or path that goes nowhere) · mk сле́па у́лица (street or path that goes nowhere) · nn blindveg (street or path that goes nowhere) · ko 막다른 길 (street or path that goes nowhere) · it cul de sac (street or path that goes nowhere) · nl doodlopende weg (street or path that goes nowhere) · ja デッドエンド (position that offers no hope of progress) · ja 行き詰まり (position that offers no hope of progress) · fr cul-de-sac (street or path that goes nowhere) · kk тұйық (street or path that goes nowhere) · cs slepá ulička (street or path that goes nowhere) · da blindspor (position that offers no hope of progress) · sv återvändsgränd (street or path that goes nowhere) · cmn 死路 (street or path that goes nowhere) · fr voie de garage (position that offers no hope of progress) · it stasi (position that offers no hope of progress) · nl beluik (street or path that goes nowhere) · he מָבוֹי סָתוּם (street or path that goes nowhere) · cs slepá ulička (position that offers no hope of progress) · nn blindgate (street or path that goes nowhere) · ar طَرِيق غَيْر نَافِذ (street or path that goes nowhere) · da blindgyde (position that offers no hope of progress) · de Sackgasse (street or path that goes nowhere) · da blindgade (street or path that goes nowhere) · ko 막다른 골목 (street or path that goes nowhere) · ro impas (position that offers no hope of progress) · lv strupceļš (street or path that goes nowhere) · nb blindvei (street or path that goes nowhere) · vo sakalusüt (street or path that goes nowhere) · ko 막다른 골 (street or path that goes nowhere) · ro drum înfundat (street or path that goes nowhere) · is botngata (street or path that goes nowhere) · da blindgyde (street or path that goes nowhere) · bg задъ́нена у́лица (position that offers no hope of progress) · hy փակուղի (street or path that goes nowhere) · cmn 死衚衕 /死胡同 (street or path that goes nowhere) · th ทางตัน (position that offers no hope of progress) · cmn 死巷 (street or path that goes nowhere) · ja 行き詰まり (street or path that goes nowhere) · sh slepa ulica (street or path that goes nowhere) · it strada senza uscita (street or path that goes nowhere) · yue 掘頭巷 /掘头巷 (street or path that goes nowhere) · fr voie sans issue (street or path that goes nowhere) · et umbtänav (street or path that goes nowhere) · sh slijepa ulica (street or path that goes nowhere) · fr impasse (street or path that goes nowhere) · it punto morto (position that offers no hope of progress) · af doodloopstraat (street or path that goes nowhere) · nb blindveg (street or path that goes nowhere) · es callejón sin salida (street or path that goes nowhere) · cmn 困境 (position that offers no hope of progress) · hu zsákutca (street or path that goes nowhere) · la fundula (street or path that goes nowhere) · az dalan (street or path that goes nowhere) · ca cul-de-sac m atzucac (street or path that goes nowhere) · pl ślepa uliczka (position that offers no hope of progress) · tl daang sukol (street or path that goes nowhere) · id jalan buntu (position that offers no hope of progress) · ro fundac (street or path that goes nowhere) · ro fundătură (street or path that goes nowhere) · ar طَرِيق مَسْدُود (street or path that goes nowhere) · cmn 末路 (street or path that goes nowhere) · es calle sin salida (street or path that goes nowhere) · mk ќо́р-сокак (street or path that goes nowhere) · pl ślepa uliczka (street or path that goes nowhere) · ar طَرِيق مَسْدُود (position that offers no hope of progress) · es adarve (street or path that goes nowhere) · et tupik (street or path that goes nowhere) · fi umpikuja (street or path that goes nowhere) · es calle ciega (street or path that goes nowhere) · da blind vej (street or path that goes nowhere) · fi pussikatu (street or path that goes nowhere) · bg задъ́нена у́лица (street or path that goes nowhere) · el αδιέξοδος (street or path that goes nowhere) · uk тупи́к (position that offers no hope of progress) · pt beco sem saída (street or path that goes nowhere) · gl rúa cega (street or path that goes nowhere) · et umbtee (street or path that goes nowhere) · vi đường cụt (street or path that goes nowhere) · id jalan buntu (street or path that goes nowhere) · vi ngõ cụt (position that offers no hope of progress) · it vicolo cieco (street or path that goes nowhere) · ru тупи́к (position that offers no hope of progress) · ko 데드 엔드 (position that offers no hope of progress) · sk slepá ulička (street or path that goes nowhere) · el αδιέξοδο (street or path that goes nowhere) · fi umpikuja (position that offers no hope of progress) · it cul di sacco (street or path that goes nowhere) · sl slepa ulica (street or path that goes nowhere) · vi ngõ cụt (street or path that goes nowhere) · ja 行き止まり (street or path that goes nowhere) · ka ჩიხი (street or path that goes nowhere) · ca carreró sense eixida (street or path that goes nowhere) · uk глухи́й кут (street or path that goes nowhere) · cmn 絕境 /绝境 (position that offers no hope of progress) · pam ikatatawli (street or path that goes nowhere) · be тупі́к (street or path that goes nowhere) · pt rua sem saída (street or path that goes nowhere) · it ronco (street or path that goes nowhere) · it vicolo cieco (position that offers no hope of progress) · ru тупи́к (street or path that goes nowhere) · is botnlangi (street or path that goes nowhere) · grc ἀδιέξοδος (street or path that goes nowhere) · pam ikadulu (street or path that goes nowhere) · fr voie sans issue (position that offers no hope of progress)