# ending

/ˈɛndɪŋ/ (US) · /ˈɛndɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ending
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. conclusion of a story

noun · CEFR A2

the final part of a book, movie, or event.

For teachers: the terminal part or conclusion of a narrative, performance, or sequence of events.

- I didn't like the ending of the movie because it was too sad.
- The novel's ambiguous ending left readers debating the protagonist's ultimate fate for years after its publication.

### 2. grammar suffix

noun · CEFR B1 · Technical

the letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammar.

For teachers: an inflectional or derivational morpheme added to the end of a word base.

- In English, the '-ed' ending usually shows that an action happened in the past.
- Learners often struggle with the irregular plural endings of Latin-derived nouns in academic English.

Usage: Commonly used when discussing verb conjugations or plural forms.

## Examples

- The movie has a very sad ending.
- I did not enjoy the book because the ending felt rushed and left many questions unanswered.
- While the protagonist's journey is technically successful, the ambiguous ending invites the audience to question whether the cost of victory was too high.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.