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.
As a last-ditch effort, Murrin’s attorneys asked the Supreme Court to hear the case in February.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 25, 2026
Green Dot Public Schools, the charter group that has managed Locke for nearly two decades, is mounting a last-ditch appeal of the L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
However, the aquatic mammal was already considered ailing and close to death when a final, last-ditch attempt was made earlier in May.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
The 34-year-old from Sweden went from third to first over the 200th lap after throwing a last-ditch pass around David Malukas with the finish line in sight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 25, 2026
To the north, German armies were retreating along the old Somme battlefield, abandoning land they had captured when starting their last-ditch offensive earlier that year.
From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman
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.
