What does "finish" mean?
An end; the end of anything.
Finish
/ˈfɪnɪʃ/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Top 500 ·Elementary level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An end; the end of anything.
- Grammar: finish is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: conclusion, close, coating, end.
- Useful contrasts: inchoate, initial, initial long move.
- Usage evidence: You yourself have to finish it.
How to use "finish"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "finish" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "finish" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "finish" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "finish" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "finish" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "conclusion" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "finish", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An end; the end of anything.
"Noel meets a cruel finish: "Kid," the government lackey who "protects" the clubs in the tourist belt, shoots Noel dead in an alley for stealing Pining out of the brothel."
- 2 the act of finishing wordnet
- 3 A protective coating given to wood or metal and other surfaces.
"The car's finish was so shiny and new."
- 4 a decorative texture or appearance of a surface (or the substance that gives it that appearance) wordnet
- 5 The result of any process changing the physical or chemical properties of cloth.
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 (wine tasting) the taste of a wine on the back of the tongue (as it is swallowed) wordnet
- 7 A finishing touch; careful elaboration; polish.
- 8 event whose occurrence ends something wordnet
- 9 A shot on goal, especially one that ends in a goal.
"The Italian opted for Bolton's Cahill alongside captain John Terry - and his decision was rewarded with a goal after only 13 minutes. Bulgaria gave a hint of defensive frailties to come when they failed to clear Young's corner, and when Gareth Barry found Cahill in the box he applied the finish past Nikolay Mihaylov."
- 10 the downfall of someone (as of persons on one side of a conflict) wordnet
- 11 The ending of a match and its structure. slang
- 12 designated event that concludes a contest (especially a race) wordnet
- 13 the place designated as the end (as of a race or journey) wordnet
- 14 a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality wordnet
- 15 the temporal end; the concluding time wordnet
Verb
- 1 To complete (something). transitive
"Be sure to finish your homework before you go to bed!"
- 2 cause to finish a relationship with somebody wordnet
- 3 To apply a treatment to (a surface or similar). transitive
"The furniture was finished in teak veneer."
- 4 finally be or do something wordnet
- 5 To change an animal's food supply in the months before it is due for slaughter, with the intention of fattening the animal. transitive
"Due to BSE, cows in the United Kingdom must be finished and slaughtered before 30 months of age."
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 come or bring to a finish or an end wordnet
- 7 To come to an end. intransitive
"We had to leave before the concert had finished."
- 8 finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table wordnet
- 9 To put an end to; to destroy. transitive
"These rumours could finish your career."
- 10 provide with a finish wordnet
- 11 To reach orgasm. intransitive
"Fucked my cousin in her asshole Before I finish on her tits"
- 12 have an end, in a temporal, spatial, or quantitative sense; either spatial or metaphorical wordnet
Example
"You yourself have to finish it."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "finish"?
Common synonyms include: conclusion, close, coating, end, ending, finale.
How do you use "finish" in a sentence?
You yourself have to finish it.
How do you pronounce "finish"?
Pronounced /ˈfɪnɪʃ/.
Etymology
From Middle English finishen, finisshen, finischen, from Old French finiss-, stem of some of the conjugated forms of finir, from Latin fīnīre, from fīnis (“end, limit, border, boundary”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeygʷ- (“to stick, set up”) or from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- (“to split”).