finish

American  

[fin-ish] / ˈfɪn ɪʃ /

verb (used with object)

finishes, present (3rd person singular) finished, past participle, past finishing present participle

1. to bring (something) to an end or to completion; complete.

   to finish a novel; to finish breakfast.

   Synonyms:

   close, conclude, terminate

2. to come to the end of (a course, period of time, etc.).

   to finish school.

3. to use completely (often followed by up oroff ).

   to finish up a can of paint; to finish off the rest of the milk.

4. to overcome completely; destroy or kill (often followed byoff ).

   This spray will finish off the cockroaches.

5. to complete and perfect in detail; put the final touches on (sometimes followed byup ).

   He decided to finish his plan more carefully.

   She finished up a painting.

6. to put a finish on (wood, metal, etc.).

   We finished the desk in antique red lacquer.

7. to perfect (a person) in education, accomplishments, social graces, etc.

8. to ready (livestock) for market by feeding a diet calculated to produce the desired weight.

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verb (used without object)

finishes, present (3rd person singular) finished, past participle, past finishing present participle

1. to come to an end.

   The course finishes in January.

2. to complete a course, project, etc. (sometimes followed byup ).

   I finished before he did. It was nine o'clock when we finished up.

3. (of livestock) to become fattened for market.

noun

finishes plural

1. the end or conclusion; the final part or last stage.

2. the end of a hunt, race, etc..

   a close finish.

3. a decisive ending.

   a fight to the finish.

4. the quality of being finished or completed with smoothness, elegance, etc..

   to admire the finish of one's writing.

5. educational or social polish.

6. the manner in which an object is perfected or finished in its preparation, or an effect imparted in finishing.

7. the surface coating or texture of wood, metal, etc.

8. something used or serving to finish, complete, or perfect a thing.

9. woodwork or the like, especially in the interior of a building, not essential to the structure but used for purposes of ornament, neatness, etc..

   a finish of black walnut.

10. Also called finishing coat.  Also called finish coat,.  a final coat of plaster or paint.

11. a material for application in finishing.

12. Animal Husbandry. the fat tissue of livestock.

13. the flavor remaining in the mouth after a wine has been swallowed.

verb phrase

1. finish with

   1. to bring to completion.

      She's finished with her latest novel.

   2. to put aside, break all relations with, or reject finally.

      He's finished with football and will play only baseball now.

      After the way they treated us, we're finished with them.

finish British  

/ ˈfɪnɪʃ /

verb

1. to bring to an end; complete, conclude, or stop

2. to be at or come to the end; use up

3. to bring to a desired or complete condition

4. to put a particular surface texture on (wood, cloth, etc)

5. (often foll by off) to destroy or defeat completely

6. to train (a person) in social graces and talents

7. 1. to end a relationship or association

   2. to stop punishing a person

      I haven't finished with you yet!

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noun

1. the final or last stage or part; end

2. 1. the death, destruction, or absolute defeat of a person or one side in a conflict

      a fight to the finish

   2. the person, event, or thing that brings this about

3. 1. the surface texture or appearance of wood, cloth, etc

      a rough finish

   2. a preparation, such as varnish, used to produce such a texture

4. a thing, event, etc, that completes

5. completeness and high quality of workmanship

6. refinement in social graces

7. sport ability to sprint at the end of a race

   he has a good finish

finish Idioms  

1. see from soup to nuts (start to finish); in at the death (finish).

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Synonym Usage

See end ¹.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• finisher
  noun
• prefinish
  verb (used with object)
• nonfinishing
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• finishes
  plural

Participles

• finishing
  present
• finished
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• finish
  simple
• finishes
  simple
• have finished
  perfect
• has finished
  perfect
• am finishing
  progressive
• are finishing
  progressive
• is finishing
  progressive
• have been finishing
  perfect progressive
• has been finishing
  perfect progressive

Past

• finished
  simple
• had finished
  perfect
• was finishing
  progressive
• were finishing
  progressive
• had been finishing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will finish
  simple
• will have finished
  perfect
• will be finishing
  progressive
• will have been finishing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of finish

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English finisshen, from Anglo-French, Middle French finiss-, long stem of finir, from Latin fīnīre “to end”; see fine ¹

Explanation

To finish something is to complete it or bring it to a conclusion. If you finished a race, you completed it — even if you didn’t come in first. Finishing is about concluding. If you finished a novel, you read the whole thing. Finishing a job means the job is done. This word can also refer to a coating or polish used to make furniture look nicer or fancier. If you say someone has a finished look about them, they don’t actually have a coating or polish, of course — but the effect is the same. They have a clean, cultured, polished appearance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

finish finishes finished finishing

It seems unjust that one of these teams will finish its World Cup in the third-place game.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

This opened up the pass centrally into Bellingham who, arriving late, was unmarked, before his impressive finish.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

Smoked stuffed peppers are another great option: Prepare the par-cooked rice-and-meat filling ahead, smoke a few tomatoes for the sauce, then let everything finish together while you mingle.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

Martin, 63, had to return to Britain, while Elizabeth, 65, hoped to finish her holiday.

From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026

“Help me finish the new one as a replacement.”

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Nneka Ogwumike finishes with 25 points and 12 rebounds as the Sparks showcase their potential even without Kelsey Plum and Cameron Brink in a 102-87 win.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

The buttery, milder fish compliments the tang of the tomatoes and the bright balsamic dressing that finishes the salad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026

Set on a beautifully lush plot, the home blends rustic charm with modern luxury, welcoming guests with exposed brick walls, soaring wood-beamed ceilings, an open-concept layout, and thoughtfully updated finishes throughout.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026

He decides football matches with unbelievable finishes and did it here twice.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

He finishes preparing the engine and walks to the driver’s seat of the car, repositions his toolbox, and climbs in.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Precious metals finished down for both the day and the week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

His father, CC Sabathia, was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2025 who finished his 19-year MLB career with 251 wins and 3,093 strikeouts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

Both sides finished the group stage with a win, defeat and a loss, but England edged through at the expense of Argentina thanks to a superior goal difference.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026

He played just 223 minutes — 19 more than Ricardo Pepi — and finished with one assist.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

“Jessica just finished undergoing some skin grafts,” she said to Darlene’s mother as I put my lunch in my locker.

From "Firegirl" by Tony Abbott

"As engineers we were led to understand when beginning our studies that you've practically got a job even before finishing the degree," she told AFP.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

Veteran guard Ariel Atkins, who was shipped out of Chicago in the Jackson deal, had her best game with the Sparks, finishing with a season-high 17 points.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 11, 2026

Shares of Yum Brands, which also owns KFC and recently agreed to sell Pizza Hut, were unchanged in extended trading Thursday, after finishing 1.7% lower during the day’s regular session.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026

Newcastle ended up finishing in 12th place in the Premier League, failing to qualify for Europe, let alone the Champions League.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

With her nephews gone, Leah put the finishing touches on her version of the Fox sisters’ story.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• clinch
• close
• complete
• conclude
• do
• end
• make
• play out
• settle
• stop
• wind up
• wrap up