last-ditch
Americanadjective
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done finally in desperation to avoid defeat, failure, disaster, etc..
a last-ditch attempt to avert war.
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fought with every resource at one's command.
a last-ditch battle for the pennant.
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of last-ditch
Explanation
When you make one desperate, final attempt to do something, it's a last-ditch effort. In a last-ditch attempt to win the student council election, you might find yourself promising to put a soft-serve machine in the cafeteria. The term last-ditch comes from William of Orange's 17th-century vow to defend the Dutch Republic from France and Britain to the death. Or as he's reported to have said, "I mean to die in the last ditch." The expression didn't really catch on until around 1900, when people started using it to mean "final attempt." In a last-ditch effort to convince your parents to get a dog, try inundating them with cute puppy photos you find online.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Clancy's lawyer led a dramatic last-ditch attempt to halt the mistrial and force a verdict, which was unsuccessful.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
As parliament approved his successor, a few dozen people gathered in a last-ditch effort to voice discontent with Fedorov's dismissal.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
Then, in a last-ditch effort to fend off Hong’s insurgency, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who had previously suspended his campaign, reentered the race less than a month before polls opened.
From Slate ● Aug. 17, 2026
The ex-officer, Eric Halem, made a last-ditch request for new trial that was rejected by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mildred Escobedo.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
"It's a last-ditch effort, but—" "The Taiyang Shenl" Rich snorted.
From "The Martian" by Andy Weir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
