last-ditch

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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

last-ditch

/ˈlɑːs(t)dɪt͡ʃ/ UK
/ˈlæs(t)-/ UK
/ˈlæs(t)ˌdɪt͡ʃ/ US

Where it comes from

From last (adjective) + ditch (noun), referring to an innermost military entrenchment which acts as the last line of defence.

adjective last ditch

idiomatic Done at or to the very end; final.
Similar: eleventh-hour, in the nick of time, last-gasp, last-minute
idiomatic Done in desperation as a last resort, to avoid bad consequences. a last-ditch attack a last-ditch attempt
Similar: Hail Mary

Translations

Every language

adj done in desperation as a last resort, to avoid bad consequences

Español	desesperado, a la desesperada, último
Français	de la dernière chance, dernier recours
Deutsch	verzweifelt, allerletzter

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MLA

"last-ditch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/last-ditch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

last-ditch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/last-ditch

Chicago

"last-ditch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/last-ditch.

BibTeX

@misc{last_ditch_2026,
  title = {last-ditch},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/last-ditch},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}