What is the difference between complete and finish?

Complete is related to satisfaction where as finish means end of some thing. That could be either way, good or bad.

Practically, when a product is fully manufactured and is usable, this is completed. Finishing means giving better look by artistic or painting touch.

Nice explanation about the different meaning of complete and finish.

Complete, Done, Finish are all means to be same but having a fine difference between them. Complete means a task allotted you and you have completed it. But finish means from your side you have done but it not sure that the task been allotted to you is fully completed.



cfp in Pune

Avijit First of all welcome in Boddunan.
Nice explanation from a fresher.

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.

Here,all who has explanned the difference are very nice explanation.
thanks for sharing.

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?

Apart from what is already said, there is one glaring difference. Complete or completion is always about work or doing some thing. This is not about using or consuming. Thus you may complete or finish a job. But you cannot complete your food. You may finish this. Also, when you are tired, you may say- I am finished. You don't say that you are completed.

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?
{CJATTACHMENT ["id": 7201]}

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?
{CJATTACHMENT ["id": 7201]}

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?
{CJATTACHMENT ["id": 7201]}

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?
{CJATTACHMENT ["id": 7201]}

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?
{CJATTACHMENT ["id": 7201]}

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.