at the end of the day

[ at thee end uhv thuh dey ]

idiom

1. after everything is considered or accounted for; ultimately:

   At the end of the day, we went for simpler printers that just do their job as soon as you click “print” on your device.

   “Yes, cost and convenience matter, but at the end of the day, it’s about the welfare of our children,” she said.

Word History and Origins

Origin of at the end of the day¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Related Words

• finally
• in the course of time
• one day
• someday
• sooner or later
• ultimately