last: applies to something that comes at the end of a series but does not always imply that the series is completed or has stopped: the ~ news we had of him.    也可能表示序列已结束，如we caught the last bus home我们赶上了回家的末班车，it's the last house on the left是左边尽头那栋房子，如she was last to arrive她最后到，如at long last love has arrived爱最终到来了


final: applies to that which definitely closes a series, process, or progress: the ~ day of school.    （final强调结束，如the judge's decision is final法官的判决是最终判决，如reached the final取得决赛权，final say/offer/outcome/exam/attempt/day of school最终话语权/报价/结果/期终考试/最后一次尝试/学期最后一天)


terminal: may indicate a limit of extension, growth, or development: the ~ phase of a disease.   (a railway/bus/ferry/computer/airport terminal铁路/公共汽车终点站/渡船码头/计算机操作终端/机场航站楼，和本例terminal disease终期晚期疾病一样，都表示到达了limit界限极限)


eventual: applies to something that is bound to follow sooner or later as the final effect of causes already in operation and implies a definite ending of a sequence of preliminary events: the ~ defeat of the enemy.    （eventual强调迟早发生、终究发生，如eventual defeat/success/civil war/solution/agreement/unification of the nation最终的失败/取得成功/导致内战/解决方案/共识/国家统一）


ultimate: implies the last degree or stage of a long process or a stage beyond which further progress or change is impossible: the ~ collapse of civilization.    （ultimate有3个意思  1、最终的coming at the end, 如our ultimate destiny/result/goal/extinction我们的最终命运/结果/目标/灭绝  2、终极的极端的最大的the greatest or most extreme，如the ultimate betrayal/challenge/hero终极背叛/挑战/英雄  3、最初的根本的起源或原因the original or basic source or cause，如the river's ultimate source河的最初起源，如the ultimate cause of the problem问题的根本原因）


last最终最后末尾: 指位于序列末尾，但序列可能结束也可能未结束，final最终: 指已明确结束(的序列中的最后一个)，terminal终期终点:  指已到界限，eventual最终、终究: 表示迟早发生的最终结果，ultimate最终: 指漫长过程的最终


记忆方法: 1）首字母LFTEU是长笛flute<==最终节目       "终"从糸冬声，表示"末了liǎo，完了liǎo"，与"始"相对，原意是"束丝细微的尽头"，冬表示一年四季的尽头。如年终剧终终场终审，如诗经"靡不有初，鲜克有终"人们做事无不有开头，而很少能坚持到底; 引申指"到底总归"，如终归终究终于终将成功；还可表示"从开始到末了"，如终年终生饱食终日


         2）最终的意思是在最后mean following all others in time, order, or importance.