The end, tip, or extremity of something (the very top or point).
鉛筆の末が折れてしまった。
The tip of the pencil has broken.
枝の末に小さな芽が出ている。
A small bud has sprouted at the tip of the branch.
The end (of a period such as a month or year); close (e.g., month-end, year-end).
請求書は月末までに送ってください。
Please send the invoice by the end of the month.
年末は帰省する人で駅が混雑する。
At year-end the station gets crowded with people returning home.
会社は月の末に売上の集計をする。
The company totals sales at the end of the month.
The youngest child in a family (equivalent to '末っ子', somewhat literary).
彼は家の末で、みんなに甘やかされて育った。
He is the youngest in the family and was raised indulged by everyone.
Descendants or offspring; often used in the form '〜の末' to mean posterity.
その家の末に栄光が続きますようにと祈った。
They prayed that glory would continue through that family's descendants.
The future (an older or literary usage).
末のことは今は分からないが、努力を続けよう。
We can't know the future now, but let's keep making an effort.
Used adverbially in phrases like '〜の末' or '〜した末(に)' to indicate 'after a long process' or 'in the end, finally'.
長い議論の末、両者は合意に達した。
After a long discussion, the two parties reached an agreement.
何度も悩んだ末に転職を決めた。
After much deliberation, I decided to change jobs.
試行錯誤の末に成功した。
After trial and error, (we) succeeded.
Trifles or trivial matters (a somewhat old-fashioned usage).
末のことにこだわって大事を逃すな。
Don't get hung up on trivial matters and miss the important things.
A degenerate or end-times age; a phrase used in expressions like '世の末' to lament societal decline.
こんな事件が続くとは世の末だ。
With incidents like this continuing, it's like the end of the world.
人々は世の末を嘆いた。
People lamented the degenerate state of the times.