blind alley
Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blind, alleyUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blind, alley. A street or passageway that leads nowhere.
» We're in a blind alley.
Wir befinden uns in einer Sackgasse. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Wir sind in einer Sackgasse. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Мы в тупике. — marafon
_undertoad · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 sensesUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see blind, alley. A street or passageway that leads nowhere.
(figuratively)A course of inquiry that leads nowhere.
- (figurative) a course of action that is unproductive and offers no hope of improvement
- a street with only one way in or out
Examples
1 sentencesWe're in a blind alley.
ruМы в тупике. — marafon
deWir befinden uns in einer Sackgasse. — Pfirsichbaeumchen
Origin
The notion of ‘blindness’ comes from the lack of a through passage (the ‘eye’). Attested sThe notion of ‘blindness’ comes from the lack of a through passage (the ‘eye’). Attested since 1583, and used figuratively since the mid-19th century.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: blind alleys| Singular | blind alley |
|---|---|
| Plural | blind alleys |
regular
Synonyms
5 synonyms- a street with only one way in or out:cul de sacdead-end streetimpasse
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.