ending

noun end·ing \ ˈen-diŋ \

Definition of ending

:something that constitutes an end: such as

a :conclusion

a movie with a happy ending

b :one or more letters or syllables added to a word base especially in inflection

See ending defined for English-language learners

See ending defined for kids

Examples of ending in a Sentence

I didn't like the book's ending.
Common verb endings in English are “-s,” “-ed,” and “-ing.”
You can often recognize an English adverb by its “-ly” ending.

Recent Examples of ending from the Web

Same Old Steps DEAR TIRED: Think Hollywood thoughts and rewrite the ending.

— carolyn hax, idahostatesman, "Being rejected doesn’t mean you’re ‘not good enough’," 28 Aug. 2017
Ying’s story, although traumatic, is extremely rare in having a happy ending.

— simon denyer, Washington Post, "The painful search for China’s missing children slowly gains momentum," 16 Aug. 2017
Not that anyone is expecting a happy ending for Cersei at this point.

— joanna robinson, HWD, "Game of Thrones: Why Cersei’s Latest News Could Prove Her Downfall," 13 Aug. 2017
Arcel avoided that by moving so far away from the source material any ending is a welcome relief.

— rick bentley, star-telegram, "‘The Dark Tower’ presents a pale take on King’s story," 3 Aug. 2017
Her heartbreaking story has an inspiring ending, though.

— katina beniaris, Country Living, "This Country Farm Blogger Just Adopted the Cutest Newborn Lamb," 7 July 2017
TV shows often force a happy ending that maybe doesn't make a ton of sense — would Rachel really haven given up her dream career in Paris for Ross? — but fans sometimes demand it.

— elizabeth logan, Glamour, "The 'Sex and the City' Author Hated Carrie and Big Together as Much as You Did," 6 July 2017
The ending: Director Victoria Bussert has a way of leaving a lasting impression with her productions.

— dana oland, idahostatesman, "Five reasons not to miss ISF’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’," 2 July 2017
The atmosphere and thrilling ending was a great advertisement for soccer in America.

— michelle kaufman, miamiherald, "Miami FC finally earned local fans’ respect," 1 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ending.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of ending

before 12th century

ending Synonyms

Synonyms

capper, close, closing, conclusion, consummation, end, endgame, finale, finis, finish, grand finale, home stretch, mop-up, windup, wrap-up

Antonyms

baseline, beginning, dawn, day one, nascence, nascency, opening, start

Related Words

acme, apex, capstone, climax, copestone, coup de grâce (or coup de grace), crescendo, crown, culmination, high-water mark, meridian, peak, pinnacle, summit, tip-top, top, zenith; aftermath, anticlimax, coda, epilogue (also epilog), postscript; shank, tag end, tail end

Near Antonyms

foreword, introduction, overture, preamble, preface, prelude, prologue (also prolog)

ENDING Defined for English Language Learners

ending

noun

Definition of ending for English Language Learners

: the final part of something
: a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word

ENDING Defined for Kids

ending

noun end·ing \ ˈen-diŋ \

Definition of ending for Students

:the final part :end

Learn More about ending

See words that rhyme with ending Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for ending Spanish Central: Translation of ending Nglish: Translation of ending for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of ending for Arabic speakers

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Examples of ending in a Sentence

Recent Examples of ending from the Web

First Known Use of ending

ending Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

ENDING Defined for English Language Learners

ending

Definition of ending for English Language Learners

ENDING Defined for Kids

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Definition of ending for Students

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