finish

1 of 2

verb

fin·​ish ˈfi-nish How to pronounce finish (audio)
finished; finishing; finishes

intransitive verb

1
a
: to come to an end : terminate
The meeting finished at noon.
2
a
: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking
I shall finish with a Chopin nocturneLillian Hellman
b
: to end relations
used with with
decided to finish with him for good
3
: to end a competition in a specified manner or position
finished third in the race

transitive verb

1
a
: to bring to an end : terminate
finished the speech and sat down
b
: to use or dispose of entirely
her sandwich finished the loaf
2
a
: to bring to completion or issue
hope to finish their new home before winter
b
: to provide with a finish
especially : to put a final coat or surface on
finish a table with varnish
3
a
: to defeat or ruin utterly and finally
the scandal finished his career
b
: to bring about the death of
usually used with off
The gladiator finished off his opponent.
finisher noun

finish

2 of 2

noun

1
: something that completes or perfects: such as
a
: the fine or decorative work required for a building or one of its parts
b
: a finishing material used in painting
c
: the final treatment or coating of a surface
d
: the taste in the mouth after swallowing a beverage (such as wine)
2
a
: final stage : end
b
: the cause of one's ruin
3
: the result or product of a finishing process
a glossy finish
4
: the quality or state of being perfected
Choose the Right Synonym for finish

close, end, conclude, finish, complete, terminate mean to bring or come to a stopping point or limit.

close usually implies that something has been in some way open as well as unfinished.

close a debate

end conveys a strong sense of finality.

ended his life

conclude may imply a formal closing (as of a meeting).

the service concluded with a blessing

finish may stress completion of a final step in a process.

after it is painted, the house will be finished

complete implies the removal of all deficiencies or a successful finishing of what has been undertaken.

the resolving of this last issue completes the agreement

terminate implies the setting of a limit in time or space.

your employment terminates after three months

Examples of finish in a Sentence

Verb You can't watch TV until you finish your homework. He started his homework two hours ago and he still hasn't finished. They hope to finish their new home by winter. They're building a new home and they hope to finish by winter. The chairman finished the meeting at noon. The meeting finished on a positive note. Noun a suspense film with a perfect surprise finish The table had a shiny finish. I need to put one more coat of finish on the chair.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Vanderbilt lost at No. 9 Kentucky last week to finish 1-9 on the road. Bob Holt, arkansasonline.com, 13 Mar. 2024 Turner finished comfortably in second place and the lawsuit was dropped a few days after the March 5 primary. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Mar. 2024 No one ever hears our records till they’re mastered and finished. Liza Lentini, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 The wires are cold-worked into the dial plate, and then shaped and finished using a burin. Carol Besler, Robb Report, 12 Mar. 2024 Homeowners were paying mortgages on new apartments that weren’t finished, which sparked massive mortgage boycotts that squeezed developers even more. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2024 Carson Wentz, who finished the 2023 season with the Rams, is a free agent seeking a starting opportunity. Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2024 A touch of lemon juice or a sprinkle of any tender herbs after the asparagus comes out of the oven is another delicious way to finish the dish instead of adding almonds. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 11 Mar. 2024 Right Field Stage Chris Stapleton: 9:30-11 p.m. Home Plate Stage — Ed Masley Extra Innings Festival 2024 Friday weather forecast By noon Friday, the temperature is forecast to be 72 degrees, with a high of 78 from 3-5 p.m. and a low of 66 by the time Chris Stapleton is finishing his set. Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sherwin-Williams Macadamia Richmond designer Sara Hillery goes for a calming flat finish paint in sleeping quarters, often in shades of vanilla. Kathryn O'Shea Evans, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 One month later, Grimstad led his team to first-place finishes in three events at one meet. USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024 When Purdy sustained a similar injury the next game, in the Christmas night disaster against Baltimore, Darnold mopped up that fourth-quarter finish. Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 12 Mar. 2024 To qualify for the 2025 Boston event, an 18-year-old woman would need a marathon finish time of 3:30 between September 2023 and September 2024. Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024 Elsewhere on the grid, there was a wonderful seventh-place finish for Ferrari teenager Oliver Bearman as the 18-year-old made his F1 debut in place of Carlos Sainz, who was last week diagnosed with appendicitis. Matias Grez, CNN, 10 Mar. 2024 All the color options are light: white, gray, and pale wood finish. Samantha McIntyre, Parents, 9 Mar. 2024 Tasting absinthe involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel, and finish. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 The music biopic is projected to surpass an $80 million total domestic haul on Saturday, with a potential finish north of $100 million still in the cards. J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finish.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English finisshen, borrowed from Anglo-French finiss-, stem of finir, going back to Latlin fīnīre "to mark out the boundaries, limit, put an end to, bring to a close," derivative of fīnis "boundary, limit, ending" — more at final entry 1

Noun

derivative of finish entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Noun

1779, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of finish was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near finish

Cite this Entry

“Finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finish. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

finish

1 of 2 verb
fin·​ish ˈfin-ish How to pronounce finish (audio)
1
: to bring or come to an end : terminate, complete entry 2
2
: to put a final coat or surface on
3
: to end a competition in a specified position
finished third in the race
4
: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking
finisher noun

finish

2 of 2 noun
1
2
: the final coating on a surface or the appearance given by a final coating
Etymology

Verb

Middle English finisshen "to finish, bring to an end," from early French finiss-, finir (same meaning), derived from Latin finis "end, limit" — related to define, final, infinity

More from Merriam-Webster on finish

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!