End — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈend/

Meaning & Definition of End

End (noun)

  1. the part of an area that lies at the boundary
  2. a point that marks the extent of something
  3. the point where something ceases to exist

End (verb)

  1. to bring to an end
  2. destroy
  3. to make up the end of
  4. to put (grain or hay) into a barn or stack

End (adjective)

  1. final, ultimate

End (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring (an event) to a natural or appropriate stopping point

    "let's end the meeting with a short prayer"

    similar: close, close out, complete, conclude, finish, round (off or out), terminate, wind up, wrap up, put paid to (chiefly British), ring down the curtain (on)
    related: climax, crown, consummate, perfect, halt, stop, suspend
    opposite: begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start

  2. to bring (as an action or operation) to an immediate end

    "unfortunately, an argument ended their date, and they're still not speaking to each other"

    similar: break, break off, break up, can (slang), cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, have done with, put the kibosh on
    related: complete, conclude, finish, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, suspend, arrest, brake, check, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back, pause, stay, abolish, abort, annul, demolish, destroy, dissolve, kill, ruin, scuttle, snuff
    near: carry on, continue, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir

  3. to come to an end

    "a book so good that you hate to see it end"

    similar: break off, break up, cease, close, conclude, dead-end, determine, die, discontinue, elapse, expire, finish, go, halt, lapse, leave off, let up, pass, quit, stop, terminate, wind up, wink (out), bite the dust
    related: desist (from), lay off (of), refrain (from), give over (British), knock off, pack (up or in), break down, conk (out), cut out, stall, pause, stay, suspend, abate, peter (out), wind down
    opposite: continue, hang on, persist
    near: draw out, extend, prolong, protract

  4. to stop living

    "a great general, who ended on the field of battle"

    similar: check out, conk (out), croak (slang), decease, demise, depart, die, drop, exit, expire, fall, flatline, go, kick in (slang), kick off (slang), part, pass (on), pass away, peg out (chiefly British), perish, pop off, step out, succumb, bite the dust, buy it, give up the ghost, kick the bucket, snuff it (British)
    related: predecease, consume, disappear, dry up, fade, fail
    opposite: breathe, live
    near: come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive

End (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the stopping of a process or activity

    "the end of hostilities brought general rejoicing"

    similar: arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination
    related: mop-up, phaseout, abeyance, break, interruption, layoff, letup, moratorium, pause, standstill, suspension
    opposite: continuance, continuation
    near: extension, persistence, prolongation

  2. a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go

    "I'm at the end of my patience with these little brats"

    similar: bound, boundary, cap, ceiling, confines, extent, limit, limitation, line, termination
    related: extremity, fag end, terminus, border, brim, edge, margin, rim, verge, outside, bar, barrier, fence, hedge, restraint, stop, wall

  3. an unused or unwanted piece or item typically of small size or value

    "a couple of ends of wallpaper were all that was left after we finished papering the room"

    similar: fag end, leftover, oddment, remainder, remnant, scrap, stub
    related: leavings, odds and ends, pickings, refuse, remains, residual, residue, scraping(s), stump, vestige, balance, rest, chip, flake, fragment, piece, sliver, splinter, ribbon(s), shred, tatter
    near: whole

  4. something that one hopes or intends to accomplish

    "in this case the ends definitely do not justify the means"

    similar: aim, ambition, aspiration, bourne, design, dream, goal, idea, ideal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, plan, point, pretension, purpose, target, thing, name of the game
    related: grail, holy grail, plot, project, scheme, desire, hope, mind, wish, nirvana, destination, terminus
    near: means, method, way

  5. the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow

    "a child's pair of scissors with blunt ends"

    similar: apex, cusp, nib, nose, pike, point, tip
    related: pinpoint, prong, tine, barb, jag, prickle, snag, spike, sticker

  6. the last part of a process or action

    "the war wasn't yet over, but we were definitely at the beginning of the end"

    similar: capper, close, closing, conclusion, consummation, endgame, ending, finale, finis, finish, grand finale, homestretch, mop-up, windup, wrap-up
    related: acme, apex, capstone, climax, copestone, coup de grâce, crescendo, crown, culmination, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith, aftermath, anticlimax, coda, epilogue, postscript, shank, tag end, tail end
    opposite: baseline, beginning, dawn, day one, nascence, nascency, opening, start
    near: foreword, introduction, overture, preamble, preface, prelude, prologue

  7. the line or relatively narrow space that marks the outer limit of something

    "the ends of his shirt cuffs were badly frayed"

    similar: border, borderline, bound, boundary, brim, circumference, compass, confines, edge, edging, frame, fringe, hem, margin, perimeter, periphery, rim, skirt, skirting, verge
    related: ambit, brink, crest, curb, cusp, lip, ceiling, maximum, demarcation, extent, limitation, measure, mere, restriction, termination, borderland, frontier, march, outskirts, pale, selvage, lap, shore
    near: center, core, heart, inner, inside, interior, middle, within

  8. the permanent stopping of all the vital bodily activities

    "Henry Hudson and eight others were set adrift in the bay in a small boat, and how they met their end is unknown"

    similar: curtains, death, decease, demise, dissolution, doom, exit, expiration, expiry, fate, grave, great divide, passage, passing, quietus, sleep
    related: casualty, fatality, martyrdom, self-destruction, self-murder, self-slaughter, suicide, annihilation, destruction, ending, extermination, ruin, assassination, execution, killing, massacre, slaughter
    opposite: birth, nativity
    near: existence, life, creation, genesis, origination, rise

  9. something belonging to, due to, or contributed by an individual member of a group

    "keep up your end of the bargain"

    similar: allotment, allowance, cut, part, piece, portion, proportion, quota, share, slice, take, piece of the action
    related: lot, ration, commission, percentage, member, partition, section, segment
    near: aggregate, composite, compound, pool, sum, total, totality, whole

Related Entry: End run (noun)

End run is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end run, not for end.

  1. as in bluff, feint

    similar: bluff, feint, artifice, device, dodge, fetch, flimflam, gambit, gimmick, jig, juggle, knack, play, ploy, scheme, shenanigan, sleight, stratagem, trick, wile, contrivance, maneuver, ruse, subterfuge, cheating, chicanery, cozenage, craft, crookery, cunning, deception, dupery, duplicity, fakery, jugglery, legerdemain, skulduggery, swindling, trickery, blind, front, smoke screen

Related Entry: End runs (noun)

End runs is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end runs, not for end.

  1. as in bluffs, feints

    similar: bluffs, feints, artifices, devices, dodges, fetches, flimflams, gambits, gimmicks, jigs, juggles, knacks, plays, ploys, schemes, shenanigans, sleights, stratagems, tricks, wiles, contrivances, maneuvers, ruses, subterfuges, chicaneries, cozenages, crafts, crookeries, cunnings, deceptions, duperies, duplicities, fakeries, juggleries, legerdemains, skulduggeries, trickeries, blinds, fronts, smoke screens

Related Entry: End user (noun)

End user is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end user, not for end.

  1. as in user, consumer

    similar: consumer, user, account, client, customer, guest, patron, punter (chiefly British), buyer, correspondent, purchaser, vendee, browser, prospect, shopper, window-shopper, bargainer, haggler, regular
    opposite: broker, merchant, seller, vendor, shopkeeper, tradesman, black marketer, fence

Related Entry: End users (noun)

End users is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end users, not for end.

  1. as in users, consumers

    similar: consumers, users, accounts, clients, customers, guests, patrons, punters (chiefly British), buyers, correspondents, purchasers, vendees, browsers, prospects, shoppers, window-shoppers, bargainers, hagglers, regulars
    opposite: brokers, merchants, sellers, vendors, shopkeepers, tradesmen, black marketers, fences

Related Entry: End-ran (verb)

End-ran is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end-ran, not for end.

  1. as in evaded, avoided

    similar: avoided, ducked, eluded, escaped, eschewed, evaded, outflanked, shirked, shook, shunned, beat, bypassed, circumvented, dodged, got around, shortcut, sidestepped, skirted, disobeyed, disregarded, flouted, ignored, averted, deflected, diverted, obviated, parried, prevented, warded (off)
    opposite: complied (with), followed, kept, obeyed, observed, acceded (to), acquiesced (to), assented (to), accepted, courted, embraced, pursued, sought, welcomed, caught, contracted, incurred

Related Entry: End-run (verb)

End-run is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end-run, not for end.

  1. as in evade, avoid

    similar: avoid, duck, elude, escape, eschew, evade, outflank, shake, shirk, shun, beat, bypass, circumvent, dodge, get around, shortcut, sidestep, skirt, disobey, disregard, flout, ignore, avert, deflect, divert, obviate, parry, prevent, ward (off)
    opposite: comply (with), follow, keep, obey, observe, accede (to), acquiesce (to), assent (to), accept, court, embrace, pursue, seek, welcome, catch, contract, incur

Related Entry: End-running (verb)

End-running is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end-running, not for end.

  1. as in evading, avoiding

    similar: avoiding, ducking, eluding, escaping, eschewing, evading, outflanking, shaking, shirking, shunning, beating, bypassing, circumventing, dodging, getting around, shortcutting, sidestepping, skirting, disobeying, disregarding, flouting, ignoring, averting, deflecting, diverting, obviating, parrying, preventing, warding (off)
    opposite: complying (with), following, keeping, obeying, observing, acceding (to), acquiescing (to), assenting (to), accepting, courting, embracing, pursuing, seeking, welcoming, catching, contracting, incurring

Related Entry: End-runs (verb)

End-runs is a different word from End. The synonyms below are for end-runs, not for end.

  1. as in evades, avoids

    similar: avoids, ducks, eludes, escapes, eschews, evades, outflanks, shakes, shirks, shuns, beats, bypasses, circumvents, dodges, gets around, shortcuts, sidesteps, skirts, disobeys, disregards, flouts, ignores, averts, deflects, diverts, obviates, parries, prevents, wards (off)
    opposite: complies (with), follows, keeps, obeys, observes, accedes (to), acquiesces (to), assents (to), accepts, courts, embraces, pursues, seeks, welcomes, catches, contracts, incurs

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for End

The most common words with a similar meaning to End:

Slang: can, croak, kick in, kick off
Chiefly British: put paid to, peg out
British: snuff it
close, close out, complete, conclude, finish, round (off or out), terminate, wind up, wrap up, break, break off, break up, cease, cut off, cut out, desist (from), discontinue, drop, give over, halt, knock off, lay off, leave off, pack (up or in), quit, shut off, stop, dead-end, determine, die, elapse, expire, go, lapse, let up, pass, wink (out), check out, conk (out), decease

Antonyms & Opposite Words for End

Words with the opposite meaning of End:

begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start, continue, hang on, persist, breathe, live, continuance, continuation, baseline, beginning, dawn, day one, nascence, nascency, opening, birth, nativity

Related Words for End

climax, crown, consummate, perfect, suspend, close (down), deactivate, block, blockade, dam, delay, detain, hinder, hold, hold back, impede, kibosh, obstruct, stem, call, brake, clamp down, rein (in), squash, squelch, stamp, stanch, stunt, suppress, turn back

Near Antonyms of End

carry on, follow through (with), keep up, run on, advance, proceed, progress, actuate, drive, impel, propel, stir, draw out, extend, prolong, protract, come to, revive, linger, be, exist, subsist, flourish, prosper, thrive, extension, persistence, prolongation, whole, means

Word Forms of End

Inflections: ended, ending, ends

Derived words: ended (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of End

Middle English ende, from Old English; akin to Old High German enti end, Latin ante before, Greek anti against

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for End

Words & Phrases Containing End

end-, end around, end brush, end effector, end line, end man

Frequently Asked Questions about End

What does "End" mean?

"End" means the part of an area that lies at the boundary. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: the part of an area that lies at the boundary. It has 13 distinct senses.

What is another word for "End"?

Other words for "End" include close, close out, complete, conclude, finish, round (off or out), terminate and wind up. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "End" you intend.

What are different ways to say "End"?

There are 354 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "End". Common alternatives include close, close out, complete, conclude, finish, round (off or out), terminate, wind up, wrap up and break.

What is a slang word for "End"?

Slang words for "End" include can, croak, kick in and kick off.

What is the opposite of "End"?

Antonyms of "End" include begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start, continue, hang on and persist. Near antonyms include carry on, follow through (with), keep up and run on.

How do you use "End" in a sentence?

Examples of "End" in a sentence: "let's end the meeting with a short prayer"; "unfortunately, an argument ended their date, and they're still not speaking to each other"; "a book so good that you hate to see it end".

Is "End" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"End" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "End" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "End" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.