blight vs dead-end

blight

verb
  • To spoil, ruin, or destroy (something). 

  • To affect with blight; to blast; to prevent the growth and fertility of. 

  • To suffer blight. 

noun
  • The bacterium, virus or fungus that causes such a condition. 

  • A rapid and complete chlorosis, browning, then death of plant tissues such as leaves, branches, twigs, or floral organs. 

  • Anything that impedes growth or development or spoils any other aspect of life. 

dead-end

verb
  • To come to a dead-end. 

adj
  • Going nowhere; blocked. 

noun
  • A road with no exit. 

  • A position that offers no hope of progress. 

How often have the words blight and dead-end occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )