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• dead end
  dead end

  noun

  something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
• dead-end
  dead-end

  adjective

  terminating in a dead end.

dead end

¹ American  

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.

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dead-end ² American  

[ded-end] / ˈdɛdˈɛnd /

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.

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verb (used without object)

dead-ends, present (3rd person singular) dead-ended, past participle, past dead-ending present participle

1. to come to a dead end.

   The road dead-ends at the lake.

dead end British  

noun

1. another name for cul-de-sac

2. a situation in which further progress is impossible

3.  dead-end.  ( as modifier )

   a dead-end street

   a dead-end job

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verb

1. (intr) to come to a dead end

dead end Idioms  

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]

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Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have dead-ended
  perfect
• has dead-ended
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are dead-ending
  progressive
• is dead-ending
  progressive 3rd person singular
• have been dead-ending
  perfect progressive
• am dead-ending
  progressive 1st person singular
• dead-ends
  singular 3rd person
• has been dead-ending
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• dead-ending
  participle

Past

• had dead-ended
  perfect
• had been dead-ending
  perfect progressive
• were dead-ending
  progressive plural
• was dead-ending
  progressive singular
• dead-ended
  participle
• dead-ended
  simple

Future

• will dead-end
  simple
• will have dead-ended
  perfect
• will have been dead-ending
  perfect progressive
• will be dead-ending
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of dead end¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of dead-end²

First recorded in 1885–90

Related Words

• blocked
• closed