What is the difference between complete and finish?

The very basic grammatical difference lies in one being an adjective and a verb and the other - a noun as well as a verb. Now coming to the finer shades of meanings both these words present in their various forms. A finished product may lack in completeness in terms of design,packaging etc. In that case 'completeness' goes far beyond mere finishing.Similarly when we say that something lacking in finish, it suggests absence of sophistication.If an air of completeness is missing in a character, we may call it a deficient character.

What a nice explanation :woohoo: :woohoo:
Actually me also trying to find its differences for the first time.
Simply, finish is a verb while complete can be both verb as well as noun. I doubt whether finish can be used as a noun. When used along with words task and work....finished work and completed task.....isn't it?
If so what is the difference between work and task? Task is an assigned job/work. If so, what is work?

How 'complete' can be a noun and 'finish' can not be a noun?
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We may say: This is complete. But not: This is finish. Correct is: This is finished. Again, complete job is okay but not finish job. This is 'finished job'.

The very basic grammatical difference lies in one being an adjective and a verb and the other - a noun as well as a verb. Now coming to the finer shades of meanings both these words present in their various forms. A finished product may lack in completeness in terms of design,packaging etc. In that case 'completeness' goes far beyond mere finishing.Similarly when we say that something lacking in finish, it suggests absence of sophistication.If an air of completeness is missing in a character, we may call it a deficient character.

What a nice explanation :woohoo: :woohoo:
Actually me also trying to find its differences for the first time.
Simply, finish is a verb while complete can be both verb as well as noun. I doubt whether finish can be used as a noun. When used along with words task and work....finished work and completed task.....isn't it?
If so what is the difference between work and task? Task is an assigned job/work. If so, what is work?

How 'complete' can be a noun and 'finish' can not be a noun?
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We may say: This is complete. But not: This is finish. Correct is: This is finished. Again, complete job is okay but not finish job. This is 'finished job'.

A product lacking in 'finish' is an apt instance of the word 'finish' being used as a noun. The object of the the preposition in!

The very basic grammatical difference lies in one being an adjective and a verb and the other - a noun as well as a verb. Now coming to the finer shades of meanings both these words present in their various forms. A finished product may lack in completeness in terms of design,packaging etc. In that case 'completeness' goes far beyond mere finishing.Similarly when we say that something lacking in finish, it suggests absence of sophistication.If an air of completeness is missing in a character, we may call it a deficient character.

What a nice explanation :woohoo: :woohoo:
Actually me also trying to find its differences for the first time.
Simply, finish is a verb while complete can be both verb as well as noun. I doubt whether finish can be used as a noun. When used along with words task and work....finished work and completed task.....isn't it?
If so what is the difference between work and task? Task is an assigned job/work. If so, what is work?

How 'complete' can be a noun and 'finish' can not be a noun?
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I think 'adjective'. isn't it?

The very basic grammatical difference lies in one being an adjective and a verb and the other - a noun as well as a verb. Now coming to the finer shades of meanings both these words present in their various forms. A finished product may lack in completeness in terms of design,packaging etc. In that case 'completeness' goes far beyond mere finishing.Similarly when we say that something lacking in finish, it suggests absence of sophistication.If an air of completeness is missing in a character, we may call it a deficient character.

What a nice explanation :woohoo: :woohoo:
Actually me also trying to find its differences for the first time.
Simply, finish is a verb while complete can be both verb as well as noun. I doubt whether finish can be used as a noun. When used along with words task and work....finished work and completed task.....isn't it?
If so what is the difference between work and task? Task is an assigned job/work. If so, what is work?

How 'complete' can be a noun and 'finish' can not be a noun?
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I think 'adjective'. isn't it?

This depends on use in sentence. '
a complete work- This is adjective. Chinmoy has given an example when 'finish' is noun. lacking in finish. here 'finish' is noun. 'Complete' is an adjective and also verb. 'Finish' is verb and also noun. 'Finish' is not an adjective. We may say 'finished work' but not 'finish work'.

Even if we do not go into grammar but its literary sense, complete is sooting while the finish is end of the road.

According to me, we can divide a task into many parts. If a part is done , it is completion of that section of work but not the whole task. When whole task is done, we say the work is finished.

According to me, we can divide a task into many parts. If a part is done , it is completion of that section of work but not the whole task. When whole task is done, we say the work is finished.

Whole or part, when done, is completion. It cannot be said that part doing is completion and whole doing is finishing. Complete- finish- both contain same meaning.

As I pointed out above, you complete or finish a job. But you do not complete your food. 'Finish' is used for consumption or destruction. You may 'finish' an enemy and not 'complete' him.

As I pointed out above, you complete or finish a job. But you do not complete your food. 'Finish' is used for consumption or destruction. You may 'finish' an enemy and not 'complete' him.[/quote]
Yes I would take this reply as complete description which finishes the matter for once and all.

Even if we do not go into grammar but its literary sense, complete is sooting while the finish is end of the road.

I could not understand the meaning of 'sooting' and secondly a word has two sets of meanings - one is literal and the other is figurative. I wonder what could be the literary sense of this word!

Even if we do not go into grammar but its literary sense, complete is sooting while the finish is end of the road.

I could not understand the meaning of 'sooting' and secondly a word has two sets of meanings - one is literal and the other is figurative. I wonder what could be the literary sense of this word!

That was soothing and not sooting, thanks for pointing . There is absolutely no sense of this word literary or whatever.

when we love a work and perform it with interest then we say complete. But when we perform a work mechanically with out bother of your interest and all then we can say finish. but most of the people use complete and finish without any reason. they use both as same

Complete means any work that you are working has done. and finish means everything has lost ..

Actually every thing, every word has several meanings, according to circumstances and way of thinking. There is a wide scope and every one has his own way to describe.

sunil is absolutely correct, every word has a special meaning. So we need to use those words according to their usage.

Complete and finish are both synonymous words. Bus still they might be distinguished as:
Complete means done something to an end
Finish means something is no more.

As has been pointed out already that a particular word has various meanings which are comprehensible to those only who are capable of comprehending them!

Complete and finish are both synonymous words. Bus still they might be distinguished as:
Complete means done something to an end
Finish means something is no more.

'complete' and 'finish' both may be used for doing a job. So, you may say that you have completed or finished the job.

But 'finish' has another meaning. This is 'to kill, destroy, consume'. This is extra meaning of 'finish'. Thus you may finish an enemy, finish your lunch. But you cannot complete your enemy or complete your dinner.

Various meanings have been discussed in the same thread. It is necessary to consult dictionary for all meanings.

As far as i know both "complete" and "finish" have same meaning.Even we use "end" also for these words sometime. :)

But sanjeev we cannot use end for every situation more over we can use complete and finish in any situation .

But sanjeev we cannot use end for every situation more over we can use complete and finish in any situation .

When a job has been done, you may express thus:

(1) The job has been completed.
(2) The job has been finished.
)3) The job has ended (or came to an end).

In a way, completing, finishing and ending all three indicate that there is nothing more to be done.

But you may end abruptly without completing. This will be ending your efforts without completing/ finishing.

As explained in an earlier post, we may use 'finish' for consuming food, wine, any consumable items or killing enemy. 'Complete' cannot be used in these circumstances.