English Reference
Idiom idiom

meet a sticky end


To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The villain in the movie meets a sticky end.

CONTEXTUAL

If you keep ignoring the warning signs, you will likely meet a sticky end.

COMPLEX

The corrupt official, having betrayed everyone who trusted him, eventually met a sticky end at the hands of his own associates.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all ends up

    Completely; totally.

  2. 02

    arse end of nowhere

    A very remote place.

  3. 03

    big end of town

    The top end of town.

  4. 04

    bitter end

    The end of a long and difficult process.

  5. 05

    burn the candle at both ends

    To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.

  6. 06

    business end

    The part of an object (chiefly a tool or weapon) that is physically used for its operation, rather than some other part such as the part by which it is held.

  7. 07

    come to a sticky end

    To die unpleasantly due to one's actions.

  8. 08

    come to an end

    To stop; to cease; to no longer continue.

Last updated August 10, 2026