end
end
/end/
final part
1 the final part of a period of time, an event, an activity or a story
It's the end of an era.
the end of the book
at the end of something at the end of the week
at the end There’ll be a chance to ask questions at the end.
by the end of something He wants the reports by the end of the month.
to the end of something She remained active as an artist to the end of her life.
towards the end (of something) I was getting bored towards the end of the talk.
until the end We didn't leave until the very end.
until the end of something I'm staying until the end of this week.
We had to hear about the whole journey from beginning to end.
He is nearing the end of his career.
Our end-of-season sale starts next week.
I'll never get to the end of this book!
It stayed hot right up to the end of September.
They get married at the end of the movie.
I hope to finish this by the end of the week.
They finally get named at the end of the book.
Her death marks the end of an era.
You don't know who the murderer is until right at the end of the book.
His story was one big lie from beginning to end.
The award was a fitting end to a distinguished career.
Pigs were weighed at the beginning and end of the experiment.
Near the end of each term, students were selected from each class for a prize.
The new rules could be in place before the end of this year.
The plants die at the end of each growing season.
Her contract expires at the end of the year.
In the six months to the end of March overall revenue rose 18%.
They scored a goal three minutes from the end of extra time.
Collocations
adjective
verb + end
come to
get to
reach
end + verb
be in sight
end + noun
preposition
at an end
at the end
by the end
phrases
at the very endright at the endfrom beginning to end…
finish
2 a situation in which something does not exist any more
It was the end of all his dreams.
That was by no means the end of the matter.
at an end The war was finally at an end.
The meeting came to an end (= finished).
The coup brought his corrupt regime to an end.
This latest attack could spell the end of the peace process.
an end to something They have called for an end to violence.
an end to the conflict/war
Let’s put an end to (= stop) these rumours once and for all.
There's no end in sight to the present crisis.
Cheap air travel marked the end of the golden age of the British seaside holiday.
The release of ‘The Jazz Singer’ signalled the end of the silent movie era.
He won't win, but he'll keep fighting to the end.
Talks were in progress to bring an end to the fighting.
The meeting finally came to an end at six.
The proceedings are expected to be at an end by 6 p.m.
What the business community wants is an end to the recession.
The injury brought her career to an early end.
As far as I'm concerned, that's the end of it.
the end of the civil war
They demanded an end to racial discrimination in the workplace.
I think I've finally reached the end of the teen movie craze.
furthest part
3 the part of an object or a place that is the furthest away from its centre
I joined the end of the queue.
Go to the end of the line!
at the end of something Turn right at the end of the road.
His office is the room at the other end of the corridor.
That's his wife sitting at the far end of the table.
on the end of something You've got something on the end of your nose.
Tie the ends of the string together.
the front/rear end of a cow/tractor
These two products are from opposite ends of the price range.
We've travelled from one end of Mexico to the other.
They live in the end house.
Continue until you reach the end of the road.
The bank is right at the end of the street.
The famous Las Vegas Strip is about three miles from end to end.
Turn into Hope Street and our house is right at the end.
the southern end of the lake
We walked along the whole promenade, from end to end.
The rope was unfastened at one end.
Take the free end of the rope and pass it through the hole.
housebuyers at the cheap end of the market
The two parties represent opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The car was lifted up by the winds and tumbled end over end along the ground.
Their red blood cells were at the low end of the normal range.
Collocations
adjective
verb + end
end + noun
preposition
at the end
on end
phrases
at one end
change ends
close to the end…
aim
4 an aim or a purpose
They are prepared to use violence in pursuit of their ends.
She is exploiting the current situation for her own ends.
He joined the society for political ends.
With this end in view (= in order to achieve this) they employed 50 new staff.
We are willing to make any concessions necessary to this end (= in order to achieve this).
They are working towards common ends.
Despite our differences, we were working to a common end.
She was prepared to lie in order to achieve her ends.
She wished to have a house built, and to this end she engaged a local architect.
The money might have been used to more beneficial ends.
Collocations
adjective
verb + end
preposition
to… ends
to this end
phrases
an end in itself
a means to an end
the end justifies the means
part of activity
usually singular a part of an activity with which somebody is involved, especially in business We need somebody to handle the marketing end of the business.
Are there any problems at your end?
I have kept my end of the bargain.
SEE ALSO business end (2), front end (2)
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
bottomlowertop…
verb + end
come toget toreach…
end + noun
partpieceportion…
preposition
at the endon end
phrases
at one endchange endsclose to the end…
See full entry
of phone line/journey
I answered the phone but there was no one at the other end.
Jean is going to meet me at the other end.
of sports field
one of the two halves of a sports field
The teams changed ends at half-time.
TOPICS Sports: ball and racket sportsA2
piece left
(British English) a small piece that is left after something has been used
a cigarette end
SEE ALSO bin-end, dog-end, fag end, loose end, odds and ends
death
She came to an untimely end (= died young).
I was with him at the end (= when he died).
(literary) He met his end (= died) at the Battle of Waterloo.
Extra Examples
He was bound to meet a violent end one day.
The end came when he collapsed after playing golf.
She had a short life and a tragic end.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
sadtragicbad…
verb + end
come tomeet
end + verb
come
See full entry
(in American football) a lineman who is nearest to the side of the field
a defensive end
He does as good a job as any end in football at helping his teammates.
SEE ALSO tight end
TOPICS Sports: ball and racket sportsC2
SEE ALSO front-end, high-end, low-end, rear-end, top-end
Word Origin
Old English ende (noun), endian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch einde (noun), einden (verb) and German Ende (noun), enden (verb).
Idioms
at the end of the day
(informal) used to introduce the most important fact after everything has been considered
At the end of the day, he'll still have to make his own decision.
at a loose end
(British English)
(North American English usually at loose ends)
(informal) having nothing to do and not knowing what you want to do
Come and see us, if you're at a loose end.
a bad/sticky end
(British English, informal) something unpleasant that happens to somebody, for example punishment or a violent death, usually because of their own actions
He'll come to a sticky end one of these days if he carries on like that.
be at the end of something
to have almost nothing left of something
I'm at the end of my patience.
They are at the end of their food supply.
be at the end of your tether
(British English)
(North American English be at the end of your rope)
(informal) to feel that you cannot deal with a difficult situation any more because you are too tired, worried, etc.
You’d better let her know you’re safe. She’s at the end of her tether.
be at/on the receiving end (of something)
(informal) to be the person that an action, etc. is directed at, especially an unpleasant one
She found herself on the receiving end of a great deal of criticism.
be at your wits’ end
(informal) to be so worried by a problem that you do not know what to do next
She was at her wits’ end wondering how she’d manage it all in the time.
I'm at my wits' end trying to cope with his moods.
TOPICS FeelingsC2
be the end
(British English, informal) when you say that people or situations are the end, you mean that you are annoyed with them
the beginning of the end
the first sign of something ending
The scandal was the beginning of the end of his career as a politician.
Extra Examples
burn the candle at both ends
to become very tired by trying to do too many things and going to bed late and getting up early
an end in itself
a thing that is itself important and not just a part of something more important
For her, shopping had become an end in itself.
For her, travelling had become an end in itself rather than a means of seeing new places.
the end justifies the means
(saying) bad or unfair methods of doing something are acceptable if the result of that action is good or positive
He defended a morality in which the end justifies the means.
That's only OK if you believe that the end justifies the means.
(reach) the end of the line/road
(to reach) the point at which something can no longer continue in the same way
A defeat in the second round marked the end of the line for last year's champion.
The loss of this contract could signal the end of the line for the shipyard.
This latest disagreement could mean the end of the road for the band.
end of story
(informal)
(British English also end of)
used when you are stating that there is nothing more that can be said or done about something
If she doesn’t agree, I won’t go ahead. End of story.
end to end
in a line, with the ends touching
They arranged the tables end to end.
get/have your end away
(British English, slang) to have sex
get the short end of the stick
(North American English)
(British English draw the short straw)
to be the person in a group who is chosen or forced to perform an unpleasant duty or task
get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick
(British English, informal) to understand something in the wrong way
go off the deep end
(informal) to suddenly become very angry or emotional
go to the ends of the earth
to do everything possible, even if it is difficult, in order to get or achieve something
I'd go to the ends of the earth to see her again.
TOPICS SuccessC2
in the end
after a long period of time or series of events
He tried various jobs and in the end became an accountant.
In the end, they decided to spend Christmas at home.
TOPICS TimeA2
after everything has been considered
You can try your best to impress the interviewers but in the end it's often just a question of luck.
jump/be thrown in at the deep end
(informal) to start or be made to start a new and difficult activity that you are not prepared for
Junior hospital doctors are thrown in at the deep end in their first jobs.
The company believes in throwing new employees in at the deep end with no training.
keep your end up
(British English, informal) to continue to be cheerful in a difficult situation
light at the end of the tunnel
something that shows you are nearly at the end of a long and difficult time or situation
For the first time since the start of his treatment, we can now see light at the end of the tunnel.
make (both) ends meet
to earn just enough money to be able to buy the things you need
Many families struggle to make ends meet.
make somebody’s hair stand on end
(informal) to shock or frighten somebody
a chilling tale that will make your hair stand on end
a means to an end
a thing or an action that is not interesting or important in itself but is a way of achieving something else
He doesn't particularly like the work but he sees it as a means to an end.
I don't enjoy studying computing—it's just a means to an end.
no end
(informal) very much
It upset me no end to hear they'd split up.
no end of something
(informal) a lot of something
We had no end of trouble getting them to agree.
not the end of the world
(informal) not the worst thing that could happen to somebody
Failing one exam is not the end of the world.
It won't be the end of the world if you don't get the job.
not/never hear the end of it
to keep being reminded of something because somebody is always talking to you about it
If we don't get her a dog we'll never hear the end of it.
on end
in a position standing upright rather than lying flat
It'll fit if you stand it on end.
Stand the box on end.
Stand it on end.
for the stated length of time, without stopping
He would disappear for weeks on end.
put an end to yourself | put an end to it all
to kill yourself
the rough end of the pineapple
(Australian English, informal) a situation in which somebody is treated badly or unfairly
the sharp end (of something)
(British English, informal) the place or position of greatest difficulty or responsibility
He started work at the sharp end of the business, as a salesman.
the thin end of the wedge
(especially British English) an event or action that is the beginning of something more serious and/or unpleasant
The introduction of a tax on workplace parking is seen by many as the thin end of the wedge.
to/until the bitter end
continuing until you have done everything you can, or until something is completely finished, despite difficulties and problems
They were prepared to fight to the bitter end for their rights.
We will fight this case to the bitter end.