- another name for cul-de-sac
- a situation in which further progress is impossible
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
ˈdead ˈend, n. [countable]
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- an end of a street, corridor, etc., that has no exit:Our apartment building stands on a dead end.
- a position with no hope of progress;
blind alley:That job was a dead end.
dead′ end′,
v.i.
- something, as a street or water pipe, that has no exit.
- a position that offers no hope of progress;
blind alley;
cul-de-sac:His theory led him to a dead end. - 1885–90
- terminating in a dead end:a dead-end street.
- Also, dead′-end′ed. having no possibility for or hope of progress, advancement, etc.:a low-level, dead-end job.
- leading a life in the slums:growing up as a tough dead-end kid.
v.i.
- to come to a dead end:The road dead-ends at the lake.
- 1885–90
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
dead end n
'dead end' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):