finish

1 of 2

verb

fin·​ish ˈfi-nish 

finished; finishing; finishes

intransitive verb

1

a

: to come to an end : terminate

The meeting finished at noon.

b

: end sense 1b

2

a

: 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

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

Synonyms

Verb

• complete
• consummate
• finalize
• perfect
• polish

Noun

• capper
• close
• closing
• conclusion
• consummation
• end
• endgame
• ending
• finale
• finis
• grand finale
• homestretch
• mop-up
• windup
• wrap-up

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

Although the Middle East and Ukraine will dominate the G7 gathering, which finishes on Friday, the ministers will also look at ways of strengthening ties with Africa, discuss stability in the Indo-Pacific region and hold debates on issues including cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. —Fox News, 18 Apr. 2024

Lively was a key contributor for the Mavs this season with his rim protection and ability to finish at the rim. —Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Apr. 2024

Some of the obstacles for student parents are hard to measure, says Jessica Pelton, who finished community college after having a daughter at age 20. —Jon Marcus, NPR, 18 Apr. 2024

The young defensive back then quickly worked his way into the Demon Deacons’ starting lineup and finished out his three-year stint with captain status as a junior. —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024

The other first-time Olympians on the current roster are Haliburton and Edwards, both of whom played for the U.S. team that finished fourth at the World Cup in Manila last year. —Tim Reynolds, The Denver Post, 17 Apr. 2024

To review: Teams that finish 1-6 in the standings in each conference are assured a playoff spot, and the teams that finish 7-10 enter the play-in tournament to battle for the No. 7 and 8 playoff seeds. —Joe Davidson, Sacramento Bee, 17 Apr. 2024

Massie faces two challengers in the May 21 Republican primary, including from enthusiastic Trump supporter Eric Deters, who ran for governor last year, finishing fourth in the primary. —Carl Weiser, The Enquirer, 17 Apr. 2024

Pépin likes filling the cavities with creamed mushrooms and finishing them under the broiler. —Benjamin Kemper, Saveur, 17 Apr. 2024

Noun

Available in yellow gold, silver, and rose gold finishes, these earrings create the illusion of a double piercing. —Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

For Arvidsson, the wild finish wasn’t a collapse but a gut check for the Kings. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

The finishes aren’t the only thing the smartphone maker is betting on. —Morgan Haefner, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024

This grill has an easy twist-start ignition for effortless start-up, and the stainless steel finish is durable and resistant to weather, rust and other environmental dangers. —Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024

And, as with last year’s tour, the presence of a live band was constantly felt, especially via the electric guitar solos and thunderous drum finishes. —Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Apr. 2024

Including his strong run at Martinsville, Elliott now boasts four Top 10 finishes (three Top Fives) in nine races this season. —Shane Connuck, Charlotte Observer, 15 Apr. 2024

There's the Tour de France in July, which begins in Florence and finishes in Nice. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

All this is underscored by tendrils of smoke that curl up at the start of each sip and slowly expand on the finish. —Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2024

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

Phrases Containing finish

• close/tight finish
• fight to the finish
• finish line
• finish with
• from start to finish
• Garrison finish
• photo finish

Kids Definition

finish

1 of 2 verb

fin·​ish ˈfin-ish 

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

: end entry 1 sense 2a, conclusion

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