Meanings
plural last resorts
- idiomaticThe only remaining, often least desirable, option when all others have been excluded.
I wouldn't recommend doing surgery on yourself, unless it is a last resort.
2 more examples
The present writer was once asked to name what he considered to be "the most typically English railway approach to a town": a somewhat tall order, especially as such matters will always be, in the last resort, of individual opinion. But the unhesitating answer to this question (which has not been altered after many years of extended travel throughout England) was "Sudbury, in Suffolk."
1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 705"Only as an absolute last resort will we carry out enforcement in the form of fines. We are sure that the public will want to be responsible and do their part to protect others by wearing face coverings."
2020 July 15, “Transport Focus: clear message needed on face coverings”, in RAIL, page 9Synonyms: last refuge
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe only remaining, often least desirable, option when all others have been excluded.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 最後的一招 /最后的一招, 最後的手段 /最后的手段
- 最後的一招 /最后的一招 (zuìhòu de yī zhāo)only remaining option
- 最後的手段 /最后的手段 (zuìhòu de shǒuduàn)only remaining option
Czech poslední možnost
- poslední možnostonly remaining option
Finnish viimeinen vaihtoehto, viimeinen keino
- viimeinen vaihtoehtoonly remaining option
- viimeinen keinoonly remaining option
French dernier recours
- dernier recoursonly remaining option
German letztes Mittel, letzter Ausweg
- letztes Mittelonly remaining option
- letzter Auswegonly remaining option
Greek έσχατη λύση
- έσχατη λύση (éschati lýsi)only remaining option
Hungarian végső/legvégső eszköz/megoldás/mentsvár, ha minden kötél szakad
- végső/legvégső eszköz/megoldás/mentsváronly remaining option
- ha minden kötél szakadonly remaining option
- végső esetbenonly remaining option
Icelandic neyðarúrræði, óyndisúrræði
- neyðarúrræðionly remaining option
- óyndisúrræðionly remaining option
Indonesian cara pamungkas
- cara pamungkasonly remaining option
Italian ultima risorsa, ultima spiaggia
- ultima risorsaonly remaining option
- ultima spiaggiaonly remaining option
Japanese 最終手段, 最後の手段
- 最終手段 (saishū shudan)only remaining option
- 最後の手段 (saigo no shudan)only remaining option
Korean 최후의 수단
- 최후의 수단 (choehuui sudan)only remaining option
Latin extrēma
- extrēmaonly remaining option
Persian آخرین حربه
- آخرین حربهonly remaining option
Polish ostatnia deska ratunku
- ostatnia deska ratunkuonly remaining option
Portuguese último recurso, derradeiro recurso
- último recursoonly remaining option
- derradeiro recursoonly remaining option
- última instânciaonly remaining option
- último casoonly remaining option
Russian после́дняя наде́жда
- после́дняя наде́жда (poslédnjaja nadéžda)only remaining option
Spanish postrera esperanza, única forma / manera
- postrera esperanzaonly remaining option
- única forma / maneraonly remaining option
- último recursoonly remaining option
- postrimera instanciaonly remaining option
- tabla de salvaciónonly remaining option
Swedish sista utväg
- sista utvägonly remaining option
Cite this entry
last resort. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/last%20resort
“last resort.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/last%20resort. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “last resort,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/last%20resort.
Source: last resort on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.