last-ditch

American  

[last-dich, lahst-] / ˈlæstˈdɪtʃ, ˈlɑst- /

adjective

1. done finally in desperation to avoid defeat, failure, disaster, etc..

   a last-ditch attempt to avert war.

2. fought with every resource at one's command.

   a last-ditch battle for the pennant.

---

last-ditch British  

noun

1. (modifier) made or done as a last desperate attempt or effort in the face of opposition

---

Other Word Forms

• last-ditcher noun

Etymology

Origin of last-ditch

First recorded in 1905–10; last ¹ + 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

The actor stars in a soaring, witty space epic, based on the novel by Andy Weir, about a man on a last-ditch mission to protect the sun from a microscopic but urgent threat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Max Beier almost put Dortmund ahead in the first half but his effort was deflected by Denis Vavro's last-ditch block onto the underside of the bar.

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

She had gone there in a last-ditch attempt to recover her health and instead collapsed with a violent pulmonary hemorrhage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

"We have worked intensively in an effort to save both businesses, having made last-ditch attempts to rescue them, but neither has a realistic possibility of trading profitably again."

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026

I only used it in dire emergencies as a last-ditch means of escape, or when I needed to get somewhere in a big hurry.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• do-or-die
• frantic
• last-gasp