dead end

¹

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.

dead-end

²

[ ded-end ]

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.

verb (used without object)

1. to come to a dead end:

   The road dead-ends at the lake.

dead end

noun

1. See cul-de-sac
   another name for cul-de-sac
2. a situation in which further progress is impossible
3. dead-end ( as modifier )

   a dead-end job

   a dead-end street

verb

1. intr to come to a dead end

Word History and Origins

Origin of dead end¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Origin of dead end²

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

While AI algorithms can be optimized for current computers, they’re likely to hit a dead end when it comes to efficiency.

From Singularity Hub 

Break the grammar with too many mutations, or mutations in critical spots, and the virus will no longer be able to enter a cell and replicate, and will reach an evolutionary dead end.

From Singularity Hub 

You’d have to subpoena bank records and lawyers, as well as human sources, and even then you frequently hit a dead end.

From Fortune

The bulk of these mistakes are meaningless—false starts and dead ends—that have no impact on humans.

From Time

By taking her smell loss seriously, getting a rapid test and self-isolating, she created a dead end for the virus, breaking the transmission chain before the virus could spread to anyone else.

From No Straight News

We are at a dead end in a meaningless war, and we are paying the bill for this fighting every day.

From The Daily Beast

For years he seemed well on his way to a professional dead end, or worse.

From The Daily Beast

“My personal life had basically reached a dead end and the pressures on me were intolerable,” he says.

From The Daily Beast

After lightly interrogating a couple of the delivery boys at Afghan Brothers, we realized we had hit a dead end.

From The Daily Beast

But the pleasures of vengeance and hedonism prove a dead end for Wanda.

From The Daily Beast

Eventually the rift widened a little, and they came to a dead end, beyond which lay the cave.

From Project Gutenberg

It was like running though a maze of twisty little passages, all alike, every one leading to the same dead end.

From Project Gutenberg

He ate it quickly, then sat brooding over the empty tray, hating to admit to another dead end.

From Project Gutenberg

Things was going pretty good; but you might guess yours truly couldn't stand the dead end of things.

From Project Gutenberg

The Judge threw away the dead end of his cigar, and shouldered his way into the inmost circle.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• blocked
• closed