Definition

Noun: 1. A street or passage closed at one end; a dead-end street. This is the primary meaning, referring to a road that is only accessible from one end, with no through traffic. 2. A situation or course of action that leads nowhere; an impasse. This is a figurative use, describing a plan, argument, or process that has reached a point where no further progress is possible.

Usage Examples

• Literal (Street):
  • We live on a quiet cul-de-sac, so there's very little traffic.
  • The delivery driver got lost in the maze of cul-de-sacs.
• Figurative (Impasse):
  • The peace negotiations have reached a cul-de-sac.
  • His research led him into an intellectual cul-de-sac.

Advanced Usage

• "To be in a cul-de-sac": To be stuck in a situation with no apparent way forward.
  • The company's outdated strategy has left it in a financial cul-de-sac.

Variants and Related Words

• Dead end (noun): A direct synonym for both the literal street and the figurative impasse.
• Blind alley (noun): Often used figuratively to mean a line of inquiry or thought that yields no results.
• No-through road (noun): A more descriptive, literal term for a cul-de-sac.

Synonyms

• Literal: Dead end, no-through road, close (UK).
• Figurative: Impasse, stalemate, deadlock, standstill.

Related Idioms

• "To come to a dead end": To reach a point where one can go no further, either literally or figuratively. This idiom is very closely related to the meaning of .
  • The investigation came to a dead end.

Noun

1. a street with only one way in or out
2. a passage with access only at one end