finish

verb

fin·ish | \ ˈfi-nish

finished; finishing; finishes

Definition of finish

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : to come to an end : terminate The meeting finished at noon.

b : end sense 1b

2a : to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking I shall finish with a Chopin nocturne— Lillian 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

1a : to bring to an end : terminate finished the speech and sat down

b : to use or dispose of entirely her sandwich finished the loaf

2a : 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

3a : 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.

finish

noun

Definition of finish (Entry 2 of 2)

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)

2a : 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

Other Words from finish Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about finish

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Choose the Right Synonym for finish

Verb

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

Instead, 24 people—including Tasaki’s president Toshikazu Tajima, as well as a smattering of the city’s jewelry luminaries and a few editors who had just finished up a month-long slog of shows—sat at a chicly deconstructed version of a sushi bar. — Mark Holgate, Vogue, "Prabal Gurung Wore a Pearl Earring to His Dinner Celebrating Tasaki’s New London Store," 8 Mar. 2019 The place to start is with hardware kits that supply the fittings and fasteners, but not the lumber, or kits that supply finished lumber, fittings and fasteners. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "How to Build a Wooden Swing Set," 30 Jan. 2019 Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been candid about her breast cancer journey, from her diagnosis in September 2017 to the chemotherapy treatment that finished in January and a subsequent surgery. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Julia Louis-Dreyfus Was 'To-My-Bones Terrified' After Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis," 12 Dec. 2018 See who can finish it the fastest and notice the hilarious results that come out of it. — Tamara Fuentes, Seventeen, "25 Fun Challenges to Play With Your Friends," 27 Nov. 2018 Celia Barquin Arozamena was a top amateur golfer from Spain who was finishing her degree at Iowa State University. — Fox News, "Slain golfer, suspect lived contrasting lives in Iowa city," 19 Sep. 2018 Once the rebar is worked into the designer shapes, millwork, kiln cast glass, marble, leather, and final details are added to finish off the design. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "A Bold and Sculptural New Furniture Collection Inspired by the Basics," 26 Feb. 2019 The Express reported earlier this week that Princess Charlotte, who attends Willcocks Nursery School in Kensington, London, has already finished for the Christmas break. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Christmas Break Has Officially Started for Prince George and Princess Charlotte," 15 Dec. 2018 Since the exit last year of its longtime chief David Karp, and the sale of the site to Verizon, rumblings that Tumblr is finally finished have abounded. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Tumblr’s adult content ban is already harming the site’s vibrant community.," 5 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

From start to finish, this process can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, proving just how complicated each piece can be. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "A Bold and Sculptural New Furniture Collection Inspired by the Basics," 26 Feb. 2019 From start to finish, ensuring a final product that's juicy and tender on the inside and crisp and brown on the outside is going to take time. — Audrey Bruno, SELF, "How to Cook Perfectly Crispy Chicken Thighs Every Time," 25 Feb. 2019 Today, Vimeo is a creative hub that aims to provide content creators—from auteur filmmakers to yoga instructors and other small businesses—with the technology to produce and distribute videos from start to finish. — Vanessa Fuhrmans, WSJ, "Meet the CEO Making Yoga Instructors Filmmakers," 13 Feb. 2019 How long does the process take from start to finish? — Denny Conner, The Seattle Times, "A major remodel requires the right pro — and lots of patience," 5 Feb. 2019 From start to finish, the Big Bang to today, took twelve minutes to film—not a second longer than the light team needed. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "How to Make a Scale Model of the Universe," 21 Aug. 2018 The best places to view the celestial event from start to finish are in eastern Africa, the Middle East, India and central Asia, according to NASA. — Denise Chow /, NBC News, "Total lunar eclipse will turn the moon blood red later this month," 13 July 2018 Thai Navy SEALs Thailand’s Navy SEALs were among the first responders, and remained at the forefront of search and rescue from start to finish. — Time, "Meet the Heroes Who Helped Keep 12 Boys Alive in a Flooded Thailand Cave," 11 July 2018 Huddersfield dominated the League Two side from start to finish and earned a 4-0 victory. — SI.com, "David Wagner Gives Update on Injuries to New Signings After Huddersfield's Pre-Season Victory," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'finish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

History and Etymology for finish

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

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