Click on the arrows to change the translation direction.
Bilingual Dictionaries
- English–French French–English
- English–German German–English
- English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
- English–Italian Italian–English
- English–Japanese Japanese–English
- English–Polish Polish–English
- English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
- English–Spanish Spanish–English
Semi-bilingual Dictionaries
Dutch–English English–Arabic English–Catalan English–Chinese [Simplified] English–Chinese [Traditional] English–Czech English–Danish English–Korean English–Malay English–Norwegian English–Russian English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Vietnamese
SINCE 1828
GAMES & QUIZZES THESAURUS WORD OF THE DAY FEATURES
Buying Guide M-W Books
JOIN MWU
-
MY WORDSMY WORDS RECENTS settings log out
- LOG IN
- REGISTER
dictionary
thesaurus
Log in Sign Up
Hello,
Games & Quizzes Thesaurus Word of the Day Features Buying Guide M-W Books Join MWU
- My WordsMy Words
- View Recents
- Account
Log Out
noun
Save Word
Definition of the deep end
informal
—used in phrases such as throw in [at] the deep end and jump in [at] the deep end to describe starting a new and difficult activity when one is not fully prepared or ready to do it After graduating, he was not afraid to jump in at the deep end and start his new business alone.Teachers are thrown in the deep end when they first start teaching.
Learn More About the deep end
Dictionary Entries Near the deep end
the deep
the deep end
the deeps
See More Nearby EntriesStatistics for the deep end
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“The deep end.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, //www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20deep%20end. Accessed 7 Oct. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster
WORD OF THE DAY
proffer
See Definitions and Examples »
Get Word of the Day daily email!
Test Your Vocabulary
Commonly Confused Words Quiz
- I went to the ______ store to buy a birthday card.
- stationary stationery
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
-
'Dunderhead' and Other ‘Nicer’ Ways to Say Stupid
As illustrated by some very smart pups
-
10 Words from Place Names
Bikini, bourbon, and badminton were places first
-
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength
Do you take pride in Pride?
-
When Were Words First Used?
Look up any year to find out
Ask the Editors
-
Literally
How to use a word that [literally] drives some pe...
-
'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'?
We're intent on clearing it up
-
Lay vs. Lie
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
-
Hot Mess
"The public is a hot mess"
Word Games
-
Name That Thing MegaQuiz: Vol. 2
Test your visual vocabulary!
Take the quiz
-
Favorite New Words in the Dictionary
Level up your vocabulary with these newly added w...
Take the quiz
-
True or False?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something a...
Take the quiz
-
Spelling Bee Quiz
Can you outdo past winners of the National Spelli...
Take the quiz