- last-ditch
- {adj.} Made or done as a last chance to keep from losing or tailing. * /He threw away his cigarettes in a last-ditch effort to stop smoking./ Compare: BACK TO THE WALL.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
last-ditch
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last-ditch — last ditcher, n. /last ditch , lahst /, adj. 1. done finally in desperation to avoid defeat, failure, disaster, etc.: a last ditch attempt to avert war. 2. fought with every resource at one s command: a last ditch battle for the pennant. [1905… … Universalium
last-ditch — UK US /ˌlɑːstˈdɪtʃ/ adjective [before noun] ► used to describe an act that is made at the end of a series of failures to solve a problem, and is not expected to succeed: last ditch effort/attempt »They are now involved in a last ditch attempt to… … Financial and business terms
last-ditch — adj a last ditch attempt/effort etc a final attempt to achieve something before it is too late ▪ The negotiators made a last ditch effort to reach an agreement … Dictionary of contemporary English
last-ditch — (adj.) on the last line of defense, 1715, attributed to William of Orange; if so, originally in a Dutch context. We have no space to enter into the detail of the heroic struggle maintained by the young stadtholder and his faithful Dutchmen; how… … Etymology dictionary
last-ditch — last ,ditch adjective only before noun a last ditch attempt, effort, etc. is a final try at achieving something difficult, when many attempts have already failed … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
last-ditch — A last ditch attempt is a desperate attempt that will probably fail anyway … The small dictionary of idiomes
last-ditch — last ditch; last ditch·er; … English syllables
last-ditch — last′ ditch′ adj. constituting a final, desperate effort: a last ditch attempt to avert war[/ex] • Etymology: 1905–10 … From formal English to slang
last-ditch — [adj] last minute desperate, do ordie, eleventh hour, final, frantic, last chance, last gasp, last resort; concept 799 … New thesaurus
last-ditch — last try, desperate attempt, last resort In a last ditch attempt to save the marriage, he bought her a BMW … English idioms
last-ditch — [last′dich′] adj. made, done, used, etc. in a final, often desperate act of resistance or opposition … English World dictionary
