last-ditch
See also: last ditch
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Popularized and given its current sense through an 1847 translation by Agnes Strickland of a quote attributed to William of Orange during the French invasion of 1672 on his being advised to surrender Holland to Louis XIV: "No, I mean to die in the last ditch."
Pronunciation
[edit]Audio (General Australian): (file)
Adjective
[edit]- (idiomatic) Final, as a last resort; done in desperation.
- a last-ditch attack
- He sent flowers in a last-ditch effort to keep her from leaving.
- 2011 January 15, Sam Sheringham, “Chelsea 4 - 3 Blackburn Rovers”, in BBC[1]:
- Only a last-ditch tackle from Michel Salgado denied Didier Drogba after a clever through-ball from Anelka and, from the resulting corner, Ivanovic flicked the ball on for Ramires, who lashed a half-volley against the bar.
- 2022 June 29, Paul Stephen, “Network News: Strikes set to escalate as RMT issues rallying call”, in RAIL, number 960, page 6:
- That's the warning from RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch, who has predicted that industrial action could soon spill over into other sectors of the economy, following the failure of last-ditch talks to avert the largest rail strike since 1989.
- 2024 June 20, David Hytner, “Hjulmand rocket earns Denmark draw as England struggle after Kane opener”, in The Guardian[2]:
- There was a last-ditch quality to England’s defending and when Pierre-Emile Højbjerg shaped a curler for the far corner in the 85th minute, England’s hearts were in their mouths. The shot was off target.
Usage notes
[edit]Often in the phrase last-ditch attempt or last-ditch effort.
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]as a last resort, done in desperation
|
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- “last-ditch”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.