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

Caples finished the scrimmage with three catches for 16 yards, and Chase Penry added three catches for 31 yards. —Ron Counts, Idaho Statesman, 7 Apr. 2024

Herro, who played in his first game since Feb. 23, finished his return with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field and 1-of-4 shooting on threes, five rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Apr. 2024

Construction crews have finished the tunneling work for the extension of the Metro D Line subway from Koreatown to the Westside. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024

The final matchup finishes out a dream March Madness tournament for NCAA Women’s Basketball, as star players such as Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese and others have grabbed the spotlight. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024

Related article Few people have ever finished the Barkley Marathons. —George Ramsay, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024

Even as narratives about the U.S. economy among top experts have waffled between jubilant relief and stubborn concern that the best of this business cycle was finished, in the aggregate the labor market has consistently been vibrant since 2022; almost uneventfully so. —Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Sofia Richie Grainge is finishing out her pregnancy in style. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024

Watching the bulk of their working (or educational) life consumed by the pandemic has radically shaped the expectations of the generation whose oldest members turn 27 this year and whose youngest cohort is still in college or finishing high school. —Chloe Berger, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

Noun

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

This lined up the perfect finish for Rey, who threw himself on top of Escobar to clinch the win. —Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024

Prosecutor Sean McGuinness delivered a powerful finish using one simple word: coincidence. —Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024

In addition to providing a medium-coverage natural finish, it's also formulated with hyaluronic acid to keep my under-eyes from looking fatigued and dry. —Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 6 Apr. 2024

Soft lofts tend to lack some of the unique architectural details associated with hard lofts, with modern finishes in their place. —Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2024

Alterations have been done with sensitivity to the design and finishes, enhancing the vision of the architect but making these homes more comfortable for modern family life. —Journal Sentinel, 5 Apr. 2024

Each piece is hand-burnished to provide a beautiful, naturally smooth finish. —Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024

Shop the best Brooklinen deals below: Luxe Sateen Core Sheet Set (40% Off) Upgrade your bedding with the luxe Sateen Set, which feels rich and buttery to the touch and features a 470-thread count and slightly luminous finish. —Anna Tingley, Variety, 26 Mar. 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
• finish line
• fight to the finish
• photo finish
• finish with
• from start to finish
• Garrison 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