1 a road, passage, etc that is closed at one end （路等的）死巷，死头: We came to a dead end and had to turn back. 我们来到一条死巷，不得不原路折回。

2 a point, situation, etc from which you can make no further progress 绝境；死胡同: The police had reached a dead end in their investigations. 警方的调查已经陷入僵局。He felt he was in a dead-end job (= one with low wages and no hope of promotion), so he left. 他觉得自己的工作没有前途，所以离开了。