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finish

FIN-ish/ˈfɪnɪʃ/

Verbfinishes, finishing, finished

Noun pluralfinishes

9 meanings of finish

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  1. 1
    verbtransitive or intransitive
    To complete something or bring it to an end, or to come to an end.

    The crew finished the bridge two weeks ahead of schedule.

    Workers finish each unit before moving to the next.

    UsageUse finish + -ing (not incorrect: finish to do): she finished writing the report.

    Similarcomplete, end, conclude, finalize

    Oppositestart (entry), begin, commence

  2. 2
    nouncountable
    The end or final part of something, or the way it ends.

    The runners sprinted toward the finish.

    The story's finish surprised everyone.

    UsageOften with an adjective, a close finish, an exciting finish, and in from start to finish.

    Similarend, ending, conclusion, close, finale

    Oppositestart (entry), beginning, opening, outset

  3. 3
    nouncountable
    The surface appearance or texture of something such as wood, metal, or cloth, or the coating or treatment that produces it.

    The desk's matte finish resisted scratches.

    They chose a glossy finish for the cabinets.

    UsageOften with an adjective for the look: a matte finish, a glossy finish.

    Similarsurface, coating, texture, polish, glaze

  4. 4
    fine workmanshipnouncountable or uncountable
    The careful refinement or polish that gives something a complete, well-crafted quality.

    The cabinetry showed a level of finish rarely seen in mass-produced furniture.

    His prose has a finish that comes only from years of revision.

    Similarpolish, refinement, sophistication, elegance

    Oppositecrudeness, roughness

  5. 5
    verbtransitive
    To apply a protective or decorative coating to a surface such as wood or metal.

    The carpenter finished the oak panels with linseed oil.

    Craftsmen finish these guitars with multiple thin layers of lacquer.

    UsageOften passive, with in or with: finished in black lacquer, finished with varnish.

    Similarcoat, treat, varnish, seal, polish

    Oppositestrip

    Note

    The American novelist Winston Churchill's The Celebrity (1898) has a cabin finished in hard wood and yellow plush. Trains Illustrated in 1961 has tables finished with grey Vyanide tops.

Practice

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Origin

From Middle English finishen, borrowed through Old French finir from Latin fīnīre, from fīnis ("end, limit, boundary"). This may go back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to stick, set up" or "to split."

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts

  • English finish comes from Middle English finishen, through Old French finir, from Latin fīnīre. en.wiktionary.org
  • Latin fīnīre derives from fīnis. en.wiktionary.org
  • Latin fīnis means end, limit or boundary. en.wiktionary.org
  • Proposed, uncertain origins include Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to stick or set up, or to split. en.wiktionary.org