finish

1 of 2

verb

fin·ish ˈfi-nish

finished; finishing; finishes

Synonyms of finish next

intransitive verb

: to come to an end : terminate

The meeting finished at noon.

: end sense 1b

: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking

I shall finish with a Chopin nocturne—

Lillian Hellman

: to end relations

—used with with

decided to finish with him for good

: to end a competition in a specified manner or position

finished third in the race

transitive verb

: to bring to an end : terminate

finished the speech and sat down

: to use or dispose of entirely

her sandwich finished the loaf

: to bring to completion or issue

hope to finish their new home before winter

: to provide with a finish

especially : to put a final coat or surface on

finish a table with varnish

: to defeat or ruin utterly and finally

the scandal finished his career

: to bring about the death of

—usually used with off

The gladiator finished off his opponent.

finisher noun

finish

2 of 2

noun

: something that completes or perfects: such as

: the fine or decorative work required for a building or one of its parts

: a finishing material used in painting

: the final treatment or coating of a surface

: the taste in the mouth after swallowing a beverage (such as wine)

: final stage : end

: the cause of one's ruin

: the result or product of a finishing process

a glossy finish

: 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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The first batch of Jack Daniel’s American single malt was finished for a full three years in Oloroso sherry casks, really more of a secondary maturation. —

Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 30 Nov. 2023 Not 50 meters upstream, another group, having finished their rites, are bathing in the filthy water. —

Oliver Franklin-Wallis, WIRED, 30 Nov. 2023 Given features and finishes fit for a condo, prices range to more than $24,000 for a four-bedroom residence at this rental developed by Global Holdings and designed by INC. —

Jeffrey Steele, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023 The weekend’s big surprise was that Ridley Scott’s behemoth Napoleon finished in second place, pulling in $32 million (+32 points) despite having fewer screenings than its competitors owing to its 158-minute run time. —

Joe Reid, Vulture, 29 Nov. 2023 The bill mentioned in the statement would aim to support jobs in the city as the Pueblo Chemical Depot, a chemical weapons storage site, finishes its closure process. —

Nancy Vu, Washington Examiner, 29 Nov. 2023 Prisoners who didn’t escape were shot upon finishing their gruesome work. —

Joshua Hammer, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Nov. 2023 The couple finished the New York City Marathon together in early November after months of training. —

Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 29 Nov. 2023 Her career seems finished until she’s contacted by a TV producer who thinks that cancellation is about to become the next cool thing. —

Sam Sacks, WSJ, 29 Nov. 2023

Noun

For the grand finish, Sarah Jessica Parker makes a guest appearance! —

Shay Spence, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 To mimic the exact finish, go for her palette of choice, Tom Ford’s Eyeshadow Quad in Desert Fox. —

Georgia Day, Glamour, 22 Nov. 2023 The photos accompanying the listing make clear the car has some dings, but the finish looks to be in remarkably good condition, owing, in no small part, to having spent the last 42 years sheltered from the elements. —

Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Nov. 2023 The former finishes as the No. 2 title on the year-end Billboard 200 Albums recap. —

Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 21 Nov. 2023 Its formula with honey nectar ensures a velvety-smooth finish every time. —

Kathy Barr, Rolling Stone, 21 Nov. 2023 The pan is made from a heavy-gauge aluminum that is PFOA-free with a satin exterior finish. —

Michelle Love, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Nov. 2023 The luxurious satin finish catches the light with every step, making these pants perfect for toasting to the New Year or owning the dance floor at the company party. —

Mia Meltzer, Rolling Stone, 10 Nov. 2023 Other movies and shows will restart shooting once returning writers finish scripts. —

Andrew Dalton and Krysta Fauria, The Christian Science Monitor, 9 Nov. 2023 See More

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

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Finish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/finish. Accessed 7 Dec. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

finish

1 of 2 verb

fin·ish ˈfin-ish

: to bring or come to an end : terminate, complete entry 2

: to put a final coat or surface on

: to end a competition in a specified position

finished third in the race

: to come to the end of a course, task, or undertaking

finisher noun

finish

2 of 2 noun

: end entry 1 sense 2a, conclusion

: 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