endgame
noun
Simple meaning
The final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
ehndgaymSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɛndɡeɪm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
The final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board
by extension
The final stage of any game.
chess
The final stage of a game of chess, when there are few pieces left.
bridge
The final stage of a game of bridge, when there are few cards left.
The final stages of an extended process of negotiation
figuratively
The final stage of an extended process or course of events, especially with the implication of the imminent realization of a masterful strategy or plan.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- C2 · Proficient (estimated)
- Frequency
- Rare
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: The final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board
Used this way, endgame is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use endgame
- “The diplomatic endgame.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “endgame” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.