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.

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last-ditch British  

noun

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

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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

In a last-ditch effort to get back to Duke, Bior obtained a special refugee passport, issued by Uganda, that he hopes will allow him to bypass the South Sudan visa ban.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

Igor Tudor was hired by Tottenham as a last-ditch attempt at surviving what would be a catastrophic relegation from the Premier League.

From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026

He raced into the Newcastle penalty area and when Dan Burn made a last-ditch tackle, the ball bounced off the Egypt forward and looped into the net.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 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

At what was supposed to be my father’s last Council meeting before he took his family north, it was decided they’d make one last-ditch effort to talk to the Governors in the capital.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

Related Words

• do-or-die
• frantic
• last-gasp