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

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Etymology

Origin of last-ditch

First recorded in 1905–10; last ¹ + ditch

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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

See Examples For:

last-ditch

Rasuwagadhi’s acting chief executive, Pushkar Amatya, deployed crews and equipment in a last-ditch search for people who might be trapped in the facility’s transformer cavern, but found no one there.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 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

Discovery — a last-ditch effort to derail a deal that would transform Hollywood.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

It was a large, parklike hilltop with a wandering path lined at intervals with information boards describing charges and last-ditch stands and other confused, noisy action.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson

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Related Words

• do-or-die
• frantic
• last-gasp

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