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

The race day gap to Leclerc Leclerc’s brilliant drive to grab third place in Jeddah, finishing only nine seconds off race winner Oscar Piastri of McLaren, pointed to the potential that lies within the Ferrari SF-25 car. —Luke Smith, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

But Brunson finished Tuesday with a series-low 16 points on 4-of-16 shooting and scored only three points in the fourth quarter. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2025

Noun

The Lakers tried to ride their best five to the finish Sunday, but ran out of gas and were passed up just prior to the end line by a bunch of young legs. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 1 May 2025

For the past dozen years, horses have qualified by gaining points from top finishes in a series of more than 30 races over the seven months leading up to the Derby. —Peter Keating, New York Times, 1 May 2025

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

Rhymes for finish

• finnish
• minish
• diminish

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