Difference between Finish and End

Key difference: The words finish and end means the same, but differs slightly in their main contexts. The word ‘finish’ refers to extend where it limits and get completed, while the word ‘end’ refers to termination or stop of something.

Finish and end are the words which refer to the same meaning; both words means to the completion of any event or something. Rarely they differ in their meanings, and also are co related to one-another but their use differs in the context. The below article will elaborate their explanations.

The word ‘finish’ refers to bring any task or work into its completion state. Here, the completion refers to the overall completion of only that particular state, and not the entire task or work. The verb ‘to finish’ means to end up doing any relevant task or work.

For example:

Workers were straining to finish the job.

Here, the example reflects the worker’s attempt to complete the given task, so it dose not mean their entire job, only a part of it.

According to Merriam Webster, the word finish means:

  • to reach the end of (something)
  • to stop doing (something) because it is completed
  • to be done with building or creating (something)
  • to cause something to end or stop
  • to reach the end of something

The word’ end’ refers to termination or stop to any work or task. It means the final stage or the concluding stage of something. After this end stage, the next stage would be the new stage and not the previous stage. This means, the word reflects the expiration or extreme phase of that task.

For example:

Revolution against injustice was the end of sufferings.

Here, it means there would be no more sufferings after the declared revolution.

According to Merriam Webster, the word end means:

  • a point that marks the limit of something
  • the point at which something no longer continues to happen or exist
  • the last part of a story, movie, song, etc.
  • the part at the edge or limit of an area

Both, finish and end are synonyms of each other, but, their meaning is different. Finish relates to end of any stage or part of that task, while end related to the stop or entire termination of that work. More briefly, finish co-relates to completion, but end co-relates to termination.

Comparison between Finish and End:

 

Finish

End

Definition according to Merriam Webster

something that completes or perfects

to reach a specified ultimate rank or situation

Origin

Middle English: from Old French ‘feniss’

Old English ‘ende’ (noun), ‘endian’ (verb), of Germanic origin

Forms

verb and noun

verb and noun

Synonyms

complete, consummate, finalize, perfect, polish, get through

arrest, arrestment, cease, cessation, check, close, closedown, closure, conclusion, cutoff, discontinuance, discontinuation, ending, expiration, finish, halt, lapse, offset, shutdown, shutoff, stay, stop, stoppage, surcease, termination

Antonyms

begin, commence, inaugurate, open, start

continuance, continuation, extension, persistence, prolongation

Example

The last two runs to finish from one ball.

This is the end of dependency. 

Image Courtesy: busy-bod.com, quotesloveandlife.com

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