ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finished

v.
A2 Elementary US //ˈfɪnɪʃt// UK //fˈɪnɪʃt// fin·ished Informal

v. to reach the end of a task or activity so that there is nothing left to do. You use this when you complete a job, a meal, or a race.

v. to bring a task, activity, or process to a conclusion; to complete the final stages of an action. Often used with a gerund to indicate the cessation of an activity.


SIMPLE

I finished my homework before dinner.

CONTEXTUAL

The construction crew finally finished the new bridge after two years of hard work.

COMPLEX

Once the author finished revising the final chapter, she sent the complete manuscript to her editor for a final review before publication.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Usage

Transitive or intransitive; when followed by another action, it requires the -ing form (gerund) rather than the infinitive.

Pitfall

I finished to read the bookI finished reading the bookThe verb 'finish' must be followed by a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive.

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