finish
[verb]
Synonyms:
- stop, cease, close, complete, conclude, end, round off, terminate, wind up, wrap up (informal)
- consume, devour, dispose of, eat, empty, exhaust, use up
- destroy, bring down, defeat, dispose of, exterminate, overcome, put an end to, put paid to, rout, ruin
- perfect, polish, refine
- coat, gild, lacquer, polish, stain, texture, veneer, wax
[noun]
Synonyms:
- end, cessation, close, completion, conclusion, culmination, denouement, finale, run-in
- defeat, annihilation, curtains (informal), death, end, end of the road, ruin
- surface, lustre, patina, polish, shine, smoothness, texture

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Related Idioms: have done with
Related Words: accomplish, achieve, effect, fulfill, correctness, discrimination, propriety, refinement, elegance, grace, polish, cultivation, taste

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English Thesaurus: end, finish, be over, come to an end, draw to an end/to a close, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. fin‧ish¹ S1 W2 /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ verb
[Word Family: verb: finish; noun: finish; adjective: finished ≠ unfinished]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: finir, from Latin finire, from finis 'end']

1. STOP DOING SOMETHING (also finish off) [intransitive and transitive] to complete the last part of something that you are doing:
You can’t go anywhere until you’ve finished your homework.
Have you finished that book yet?
finish doing something
I finished typing the report just minutes before it was due.
‘How’s the decorating going?’ ‘We’ve nearly finished.’

2. END [intransitive] especially British English when an event, activity, or period of time finishes, it ends, especially at a particular time:
The football season finishes in May.
What time does school finish?

3. EAT/DRINK (also finish up/off) [transitive] to eat or drink all the rest of something, so there is none left:
I’ll just finish my coffee.

4. END SOMETHING BY DOING SOMETHING (also finish off) [intransitive and transitive] to complete an event, performance, piece of work etc by doing one final thing
finish with
The party finished with a sing-song.
finish (something) by doing something
I would like to finish by thanking you all for your help.

5. RACE [intransitive and transitive] to be in a particular position at the end of a race, competition etc
finish first/second/third etc
He finished second in the 100 metres, behind Ben Johnson.

6. TAKE AWAY SB’S STRENGTH (also finish off) [transitive] to take away all of someone’s strength, energy etc Synonym : do somebody in:
Another run like that would just about finish me.

7. USE ALL OF SOMETHING [intransitive and transitive] British English to completely use up the supply of something, especially food:
The ice cream’s finished – can you get some more?

8. put/add the finishing touches (to something) to add the final details that make your work complete:
The band are putting the finishing touches to their new album.

9. SURFACE [transitive] to give the surface of something, especially wood, a smooth appearance by painting, polishing, or covering it:
The furniture had been attractively finished in a walnut veneer.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. finish² S3 noun
[Word Family: verb: finish; noun: finish; adjective: finished ≠ unfinished]

1. [countable] the end or last part of something:
I was watching the race but I didn’t get to see the finish.
The day was a disaster from start to finish (=from the beginning until the end).
I won’t walk out – I like to see things through to the finish.
a close finish (=an end of a race where two competitors are very close to each other)

2. a fight to the finish a fight or game in which the teams or competitors struggle until one is completely defeated

3. [uncountable and countable] the appearance of the surface of an object after it has been painted, polished etc:
That table has a beautiful finish.

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

finish
noun
I. last part/end of sth
ADJ. exciting, good, great, thrilling, tremendous His best finish was 11th in the Hungarian Grand Prix.
perfect It was the perfect finish to a wonderful day.
sprint, storming, strong The runners came round the bend for a sprint finish in the home straight.
close, dramatic, nail-biting, photo, tight It was a photo finish, with three horses neck and neck at the finishing line.
VERB + FINISH provide The rules of the game were changed to provide a more exciting finish for the television audience.
be in at Her car suffered from gearbox trouble, but she was still in at the finish.
FINISH + NOUN line
PREP. at the ~ Several runners needed medical attention at the finish.
to a/the ~ They fought bravely right to the finish.
~ to a dramatic finish to the match
PHRASES from start to finish He was in the lead from start to finish.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

finish
II. look/feel of sth
ADJ. good, neat, professional | perfect | attractive | decorative | fine, smooth | textured | natural | paint/painted | eggshell, gloss/glossy, matt, satin, shiny | brass, metallic, wood a guitar with a natural wood finish
surface | floor, wall, etc. The wall and floor finishes are all of the the highest standard.
VERB + FINISH have This paint has a gloss finish.
achieve, get, obtain With our new tool for putting up wallpaper you can get a perfect finish every time.
create, give (sth), produce, provide This trim really does give the garment a professional finish.
match The steel roof has been coloured to match the finish of the original wrought iron.
apply Make sure the surface is clean and smooth before the finish is applied.
PREP. to a ~ Sand the wood to a fine finish using steel wool.
with a ~ a door handle with a brass finish
~ on How did you achieve that finish on the wood?

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

finish
verb
ADV. almost, nearly | just She had just finished dressing when the telephone rang.
soon | eventually, finally | off He finished off by welcoming new arrivals to the school.
VERB + FINISH let sb Let me just finish what I'm doing.
PREP. by He finished by telling us about his trip to Spain.
with The evening finished with a few songs. Have you finished with the vacuum cleaner yet? I need it.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

end if a event, activity, or story ends, it stops happening:
How does the story end?
The school year ends in June.
finish to end - use this about an organized event such as a meeting, party, or lesson, especially when saying what time it ends:
The meeting will finish at 5.30.
What time does your Spanish class finish?
be over if an event, activity, or period of time is over, it has ended:
I can’t wait for our exams to be over.
The long summer vacation was almost over.
come to an end to finally end – used about a period of time, a situation, or an activity that has continued for a long time:
The war finally came to an end six years later.
draw to an end/to a close written to end gradually over a period of time – used in written descriptions:
These problems still remained as the twentieth century drew to an end.
time is up if time is up, you are not allowed any more time to do something:
I wasn’t able to finish the test before the time was up.
time runs out if time runs out, there is no more time available to do something, especially something important:
The desperate search for survivors continues, but time is running out.
expire formal if a ticket, bank card, legal document etc expires, the period of time during which you can use it has ended:
I’m afraid we can’t accept this credit card – it expired last week.
be at an end if something is at an end, it has ended:
We both knew that our marriage was at an end.
The long wait was at an end.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

end the part of a place or object that is furthest from the centre or the beginning:
the end of the table
the end of the street
tip the end of something, especially something pointed:
the tip of your nose
an arrow tip
point the sharp end of something:
The point of the pencil broke.
the opposite/other end (of something)
Jon and his girlfriend were sitting at the opposite end of the bar.
the far end (of something) (=furthest from you)
He walked to the far end of the room and sat at his desk.
deep/shallow end (=used about the ends of a swimming pool where the water is deepest or least deep)
The kids were splashing about in the shallow end.
lay/place something end to end (=in a line, with the ends touching)
The roof tiles are laid end to end.
political/military financial etc ends
The government exploited the situation for political ends.
achieve your own ends (=to get what you want, used to show disapproval)
Some people would do almost anything to achieve their own ends.
to that end (=with that aim or purpose)
Our first priority is safety, and the airline is working to that end.
an end in itself (=the thing that you want to achieve)
The programme is not an end in itself, but rather the first step the prisoner takes towards a new life.
the end justifies the means (=used to say that something bad is acceptable, if it achieves a good result)
Their defence, that the end justifies the means, is not acceptable.
a means to an end (=a way of achieving what you want)
To Joe, work was a means to an end, nothing more.
with this end in view (=with this thing in mind as an aim)
We need to reduce costs, so with this end in view, the company is switching supplier.
finish to end - use this about an organized event such as a meeting, party, or lesson, especially when saying what time it ends:
The meeting will finish at 5.30.
What time does your Spanish class finish?
be over if an event, activity, or period of time is over, it has ended:
I can’t wait for our exams to be over.
The long summer vacation was almost over.
come to an end to finally end – used about a period of time, a situation, or an activity that has continued for a long time:
The war finally came to an end six years later.
draw to an end/to a close written to end gradually over a period of time – used in written descriptions:
These problems still remained as the twentieth century drew to an end.
time is up if time is up, you are not allowed any more time to do something:
I wasn’t able to finish the test before the time was up.
time runs out if time runs out, there is no more time available to do something, especially something important:
The desperate search for survivors continues, but time is running out.
expire formal if a ticket, bank card, legal document etc expires, the period of time during which you can use it has ended:
I’m afraid we can’t accept this credit card – it expired last week.
be at an end if something is at an end, it has ended:
We both knew that our marriage was at an end.
The long wait was at an end.

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

finish to complete the last part of something that you are doing:
Have you finished your homework?
The builders say they should have finished by Friday.
complete to finish making or doing something that has taken a long time to finish:
The new bridge will be completed in two years’ time.
She has just completed her PhD.
finalize to do the last things that are necessary in order to settle a plan or agreement in a satisfactory way:
A spokesman said that they were hoping to finalize an agreement in the near future.
conclude formal to officially finish something:
The police have now concluded their investigations.
Ralph Ellis, Managing Director, concluded the conference with a review of the trading year.
wrap something up informal to finish something successfully – used especially about agreements or sports competitions:
Negotiators are meeting on Friday to wrap up the deal.
Liverpool had several chances to wrap up the game.
round something off British English, round something out American English to do something as a way of ending a day, an evening, an event etc in an enjoyable or suitable way:
They rounded off the day with a barbecue at the beach.
A concert in the park is being organized to round off the programme of events.
get it over with/get it over and done with to do something that you have to do now, so that it is finished and you can stop worrying about it:
Let’s go and do the shopping now and get it over with.
Just tell him how you feel and get it over and done with.
be done/be through informal if you are done, you have finished – used especially when other people are waiting for you:
We’re nearly done.
We should be through in half an hour.
be through with something/be done with something informal to have finished using something – used especially when other people are waiting to use it:
I’m done with the file.
I’ll let you know when I’m through with it.
tie up the loose ends to finish dealing with the final details of something, so that is all finished:
‘Is the talk ready?’ ‘I just need to tie up a few loose ends.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲

finished if something is finished, you have done all of it:
She showed him the finished drawing.
I was very pleased with the finished result.
done [not before noun] finished - used especially in everyday English instead of finished:
I can’t come out till my essay’s done.
They promised the work would be done by April.
complete [not before noun] completely finished – used especially to emphasize that there is no more work to do:
Six months later the job was complete.
The first stage of the project is now complete.
over finished – used about an event, activity, or period of time:
Football practice is over at 4:30. Can you pick me up then?
The summer was nearly over.
be through informal to have finished doing something or using something:
I probably won’t be through till about 6 o'clock.
Are you through with those scissors?
finish to complete the last part of something that you are doing:
Have you finished your homework?
The builders say they should have finished by Friday.
finalize to do the last things that are necessary in order to settle a plan or agreement in a satisfactory way:
A spokesman said that they were hoping to finalize an agreement in the near future.
conclude formal to officially finish something:
The police have now concluded their investigations.
Ralph Ellis, Managing Director, concluded the conference with a review of the trading year.
wrap something up informal to finish something successfully – used especially about agreements or sports competitions:
Negotiators are meeting on Friday to wrap up the deal.
Liverpool had several chances to wrap up the game.
round something off British English, round something out American English to do something as a way of ending a day, an evening, an event etc in an enjoyable or suitable way:
They rounded off the day with a barbecue at the beach.
A concert in the park is being organized to round off the programme of events.
get it over with/get it over and done with to do something that you have to do now, so that it is finished and you can stop worrying about it:
Let’s go and do the shopping now and get it over with.
Just tell him how you feel and get it over and done with.
be done/be through informal if you are done, you have finished – used especially when other people are waiting for you:
We’re nearly done.
We should be through in half an hour.
be through with something/be done with something informal to have finished using something – used especially when other people are waiting to use it:
I’m done with the file.
I’ll let you know when I’m through with it.
tie up the loose ends to finish dealing with the final details of something, so that is all finished:
‘Is the talk ready?’ ‘I just need to tie up a few loose ends.’

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲