I. fin ‧ ish 1 S1 W2 /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ BrE AmE 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 SYN 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.
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THESAURUS
▪ finish to complete the last part of something that you are doing:
Have you finished your homework?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.’
finish off phrasal verb
1 . finish something ↔ off to complete the last part of something that you are doing:
It’ll take me a couple of hours to finish this job off.
2 . finish something ↔ off to use or eat all of something, so there is none left:
Who finished off the cake?
3 . to complete an event, performance, piece of work etc by doing one final thing
finish off with
We’ll finish off with a track from Adam’s new album.
finish something ↔ off
She finished off her speech by thanking her sponsors.
finish off/finish something ↔ off by doing something
Finish off by cleaning the monitor and the keyboard.
4 . finish somebody/something ↔ off to kill a person or animal when they are already weak or wounded
5 . finish somebody ↔ off to take away all of someone’s strength, energy etc:
The walk up the hill really finished me off.
finish up phrasal verb
1 . British English informal to arrive at a particular place, after going to other places first SYN end up :
I took a long holiday in Italy and finished up in Rome.
2 . British English informal to get into a particular state or situation as the result of what you have done, especially without planning or expecting it SYN end up :
He tried to bribe a police officer and finished up in jail.
finish up with
Brett got into a fight and finished up with a broken wrist.
3 . finish something ↔ up to eat or drink all the rest of something, so there is none left:
Come on, finish up your drinks!
finish with something/somebody phrasal verb
1 . have/be finished with something to no longer need to use something:
Have you finished with the scissors?
2 . have/be finished with somebody to have finished talking to someone or dealing with them, especially when you are angry with them or want to punish them:
Don’t go. I haven’t finished with you yet.
‘When I’m finished with you,’ he said, ‘you’ll be lucky if you’re still alive.’
3 . to end a romantic or sexual relationship with someone:
So I told him I wanted to finish with him.
II. finish 2 S3 BrE AmE 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.