dead-end
UK[ˌded ˈend]US[ˌded ˈend]
n
A street, passage, etc. that is closed at one end and does not lead anywhere else.
n
A situation, job, or course of action that offers no prospects for progress or development.
adj
(of a street, passage, etc.) closed at one end.
adj
(of a job, situation, etc.) offering no prospects for progress or development.
Morpheme Breakdown
dead
end
dead
sense
end
sense
Etymology
The compound "dead-end" is a straightforward combination of two native English words. "Dead," with its core meaning of "lifeless," was used figuratively from at least the 16th century to describe things that were inactive, useless, or barren. "End" denotes a final point or limit. When combined in the 19th century, originally describing a passage or street closed at one end, the term vividly conveys the idea of a path that leads only to a point of termination with no throughway, like a corpse that goes no further. This literal sense was soon extended metaphorically to describe situations, careers, or lines of inquiry that similarly lead to a point of stagnation with no possibility of advancement, perfectly capturing the frustration of a promising path that abruptly ceases.
Analysis
Structure: dead (sense) + end (sense)
- dead: From Old English dēad, meaning "lifeless, deceased." In this compound, it functions metaphorically to mean "barren, unproductive, or without exit."
- end: From Old English ende, meaning "limit, boundary, conclusion." It functions as a noun indicating the terminal point or final part.
Examples
We took a wrong turn and drove into a dead-end street.
He felt his clerical job was a dead-end with no chance of promotion.
The negotiations hit a dead-end when neither side would compromise.