finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "finished" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate the completion of a task or activity. Example: "I have finally finished my report and submitted it to my supervisor."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Then by the time Twitter's finished amplifying their shock by a factor of 10, it's easy to forget that some of the justices will have a more complex thought process than was on display in their questioning.

The Guardian

Just finished.

The New York Times

Unlike in Iceland, however, the teams who finished above them were all beaten on their way to winning the title.

The Guardian - Sport

When Liberal Democrat thoughts do turn to a new leader after the next general election, Chris Huhne, who finished second to Campbell in this year's contest, or a representative of he younger generation like Nick Clegg will inherit his crown.

The Guardian - Opinion

The Lib Dems finished behind the Greens, who polled 1,692 (4.2%, up 2.7 percentage points).

The Guardian

Rooney has impressed during his team's tour of the United States, which finished with a 3-1 victoverover Liverpool in Miami, enabling Van Gaal's side to win the International Champions Cup.

The Guardian - Sport

A fire at Smith's destroyed most of the archive in 1931; bombing in the Blitz pretty much finished it off.

The Guardian

Hearts finished fifth in the Scottish Premier League, while Hibs finished second from bottom of the table, with relegated Dunfermline Athletic beneath them.

The Guardian - Sport

Saunders, who has previously managed Wrexham, Doncaster and Wolves, finished the season in interim charge of Crawley but was unable to prevent them from being relegated to League Two.

The Guardian - Sport

This time last year they were challenging for promotion under Rösler (they eventually finished fifth) and were about to inflict FA Cup defeat on Manchester City for the second season in a row and give Arsenal a scare in the Wembley semi-final.

The Guardian - Sport

The recent spike in UVF-related violence has prompted the Police Federation to claim the organisation's ceasefire is finished.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "finished" to clearly indicate the completion of a task, project, or activity. It's versatile for both formal and informal contexts.

Common error

While acceptable, avoid using "finished" excessively in formal documents. Opt for stronger alternatives like "completed" or "concluded" for a more professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The word "finished" functions primarily as an adjective describing a state of completion or as the past participle of the verb "finish". Ludwig confirms its role in indicating a concluded action or state.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Sport

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Social Media

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the term "finished" is a versatile word functioning as both an adjective and a verb, denoting completion or conclusion. Ludwig's analysis confirms it's grammatically sound and broadly applicable, although more formal alternatives like "completed" or "concluded" may be preferred in specific contexts. Primarily used in News & Media and Sport, it maintains a neutral register suitable for diverse communication settings. Avoid overusing "finished" in highly formal documents to ensure a polished tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

completed

Direct synonym implying the action is brought to an end.

concluded

More formal, suggesting a formal end.

done

Informal and direct synonym.

completed task

Explicitly includes the concept of a task.

brought to a close

Suggests a process of ending.

wrapped up

Informal, suggests a neat ending.

brought to fruition

Focuses on achieving a successful outcome.

in the books

Idiomatic, meaning recorded and done.

terminated

Implies a formal or abrupt ending.

finalized

Suggests an official completion with all details settled.

FAQs

How can I use "finished" in a sentence?

You can use "finished" to indicate the completion of an action or task, as in "I have finished my homework" or "The project is finally finished".

What words can I use instead of "finished"?

You can use alternatives like "completed", "concluded", or "done" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "I am finished"?

Yes, saying "I am finished" is correct and often implies that you are done with something or have reached the end of your involvement in a particular activity.

What's the difference between "finished" and "done"?

"Finished" and "done" are often interchangeable, but "finished" can sometimes imply a higher degree of completion or refinement, while "done" is more informal and simply indicates that something is complete.