end

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Terminal point

Nouns

1. end[ing], close, termination, conclusion, wind-up, finis, finish, finale, period, terminus, stopping [point]; halt, cessation, desistance, cloture, abortion, curtailment, stop[page], expiration, halt; end game; bitter end, happy end[ing]. See discontinuance, failure.

2. (end of a line) extreme, extremity; acme, peak (see height); tip, nib, point; tail [end], fag or tag end, bitter end; peroration; final or last inning, round, or lap, etc.; homestretch, Z, omega, izzard, zed. Informal, shank. See limit.

3. (end of life) consummation, completion, denouement, finish, doomsday, crack of doom, Day of Judgment, final curtain, last stages, last word, expiration, death, end of all things, quietus, finality; the four last things (death, judgment, heaven, and hell); last hurrah. Slang, payoff, curtains.

4. (cause of an ending) finishing stroke, death blow, knockout, KO, coup de grâce, crowning touch; last straw; straw that breaks the camel's back.

5. (end destination) goal, destination, object, purpose (see intention).

Verbs

1. end, close, finish, terminate, conclude, be all over, expire, die (see death); come to a close, run its course, run out, pass away, be through, end up; have done, leave off, go out with a bang, ride off into the sunset. Informal, wind up.

2. bring to an end, put an end to, make an end of, lay to rest; determine; complete; stop, turn, or cut off; close or shut the door, shut up shop, ring down the curtain; abort, call off; call a halt, blow the whistle on, rain out; flag down; stop cold or dead, stop in one's tracks, nip in the bud; put out, extinguish. Slang, pull a rabbit.

3. cease, halt, arrest, desist, expire, lapse, stop; sign off, log off, hang up; curtail, choke off, cut short (see shortness); abort, drop. Slang, cut out, flame out.

Adjectives

1. ending, final, terminal, definitive, crowning, completing, last [but not least], ultimate, extreme, conclusive, last-ditch.

2. end, at an end, settled, decided, over, played out.

Adverbs — finally, definitely, conclusively; at the last, when the chips are down; in time; once and for all, to the bitter end; all over but the shouting; that is that; in at the kill or the death.

Phrases — all good things must come to an end; all's well that ends well; the end crowns the work; the opera isn't over till the fat lady sings; a whistling girl and a crowing hen never came to a good end. Informal, the jig or game is up.

Quotations — The end is not yet (Bible), I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Bible), Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof (Bible), In my beginning is my end (T.S. Eliot), If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament (Florynce Kennedy).

Antonyms, see beginning.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [Purpose]

Syn. aim, object, intention; see purpose 1 .

2. [The close of an action]

Syn. expiration, completion, termination, adjournment, final event, ending, close, denouement, finish, conclusion, arrangement, finale, cessation, discontinuation, target date, deadline, retirement, accomplishment, attainment, determination, achievement, fulfillment, payoff, realization, period, consummation, concluding part, culmination, perfection, execution, performance, last line, finis, epilogue, closing piece, closing scene, curtain, terminus, omega, last word, swan song, bottom line*, wrap-up*, windup*, beginning of the end, cutoff, mopping up*, end of the line*.

Ant. beginning, start*, opening.

3. [A result]

Syn. conclusion, effect, outcome, upshot; see result .

4. [The extremity]

Syn. terminal, termination, terminus, boundary, limit, borderline, border, bound(s), point, stub, stump, tail end, edge, tip, top, head, butt end, nib, pole, remnant, fragment.

Ant. center*, middle, hub.

5. [The close of life]

Syn. demise, passing, doom; see death 1 .

• keep one's end up*,

Syn. do one's share, join, participate; see help 1 , participate 1 .

• make (both) ends meet*,

Syn. manage, get along, get by, survive; see budget 1 , endure 2 , survive 1 .

• no end*,

Syn. very much, extremely, greatly; see much 2 , very .

• on end,

Syn.

6. ceaselessly, without interruption, continuously; see consecutively , regularly 2 .

7. straight, vertical, standing up; see upright 1 .

• put an end to,

Syn. stop, finish, discontinue; see end 1 .

See Synonym Study at intention . v.

1. [To bring to a halt]

Syn. stop, finish, quit, close, halt, terminate, conclude, complete, terminate, settle, shut down, leave off, switch off, bring to an end, make an end of, wind up, get done, break off, adjourn, break up, leave unfinished, relinquish, put an end to, discontinue, cut off, cut short, abort, postpone, play out, interrupt, dispose of, drop, give up, call it a day*, call it quits*, pull the plug*, put the lid on*, call off*, choke off*, ring down the curtain*, wrap up*.

Ant. begin*, initiate, start.

2. [To bring to a conclusion]

Syn. complete, settle, conclude, terminate; see achieve 1 .

3. [To come to an end]

Syn. desist, cease, die, peter out*; see stop 2 .

4. [To die]

Syn. expire, depart, pass away; see die 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus)

I

n.

1. limit terminus, borderline, extremity, boundary, edge, extent, tip, point, pale.

2. finish completion, conclusion, close, stop, cessation, finale, finis, termination, expiration, windup, consummation.

3. purpose aim, intention, object, reason, point, objective, motivation.

4. result outcome, consequence, effect, upshot.

ANT.: 2. start, beginning, opening. see death

II

v.

stop, finish, cease, wrap up, conclude, close, terminate, wind down, consummate, expire, discontinue, desist, drop.

ANT.: start, begin, open

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) I noun 1. The hindmost part of something: rear1, tag end, tail, tail end. See PRECEDE. 2. A demarcation point or boundary beyond which something does not extend or occur: bound2 (often used in plural), confine (used in plural), limit. See EDGE. 3. A concluding or terminating: cease, cessation, close, closing, closure, completion, conclusion, consummation, ending, end of the line, finish, period, stop, stopping point, termination, terminus, wind-up, wrap-up. See CONTINUE. 4. The last part: close, conclusion, ending, finale, finish, last1, termination, wind-up, wrap-up. See START. 5. What one intends to do or achieve: aim, ambition, design, goal, intent, intention, mark, meaning, object, objective, point, purpose, target, view, why. Idioms: end in view, why and wherefore. See PLANNED, PURPOSE. 6. The ultimate point to which an action, thought, discussion, or policy is carried: extreme, length, limit. See LIMITED. 7. Residual matter: butt4, fragment, ort (often used in plural), scrap1, shard, stub. See LEFTOVER. II verb To bring or come to a natural or proper end: close, complete, conclude, consummate, finish, terminate, wind up, wrap up. See START.