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• rear end
  rear end

  noun

  the hindmost part of something.
• rear-end
  rear-end

  verb (used with object)

  to drive a vehicle or other conveyance so as to strike the back end of (another vehicle).

rear end

¹ American  

noun

• rear ends
  plural

1. the hindmost part of something.

2. Informal. the buttocks; behind.

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rear-end ² American  

[reer-end] / ˈrɪərˈɛnd /

verb (used with object)

1. to drive a vehicle or other conveyance so as to strike the back end of (another vehicle).

   My car was rear-ended by another driver on the highway.

2. (of a moving vehicle or other conveyance) to strike the back end of (another vehicle or object).

   A freight train rear-ended the commuter train this morning.

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rear end Idioms  

1. The back part of anything, especially a vehicle, as in There's a large dent in the rear end of the car .

2. The buttocks, as in I'm afraid these pants don't fit my rear end . The noun rear alone has been used in both these senses, the first since the late 1700s and the second since the mid-1900s. The addition of end occurred in the first half of the 1900s.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• rear ends
  plural

Etymology

Origin of rear end¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Origin of rear-end²

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rear end rear-end

The updated taillight assemblies and deck lid treatment luxe up the rear end nicely.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026

“Can I just not be a really good horse trainer that did something really profound and amazing in a short amount of time after I had to work my rear end off for it?”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

Ferrari describes its new electric vehicle as a "glass house", with headlights that are invisible when switched off, and a rear end reminiscent of famous models such as the 360 Modena.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

A hermit crab will inspect a shell with care, running antennae and claws over its contours, before delicately lowering its rear end into the aperture.

From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2025

A horse’s rear end loomed right above my head.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Dashcam video of the incident showed traffic slowing down far ahead of the white Jeep as it stopped abruptly in front of the semi, causing the truck to rear-end the vehicle.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Related: ‘I didn’t ask a man to rear-end my car’: Social Security is replacing my disability benefits.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 12, 2026

“I didn’t ask a man to rear-end my car at a red light.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Giuliani, 81, was hospitalized in New Hampshire after a rear-end collision.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2025

Before we can make it to the guest room, Grandma freezes in the hall and I almost rear-end her.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman

Related Words

• posterior