TKG English Learner's Dictionary

end

endverb

American /ɛnd/ British /end/ End rhymes with send.
third-person singular ends past tense ended past participle ended present participle ending
very commondefining vocabulary

To end is to reach the last point of something, or to bring something to that point.

  1. finishcome to the last point and stop

    intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

    Collocations

    verb + adverb end suddenly, end early, end happily, end badly
    noun + verb the meeting ends, the war ends, a relationship ends

    Synonyms finish; stop; close

    Antonyms begin; start

  2. make stopmake something finish or stop

    transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + noun end a war, end a relationship, end a meeting, end your career
    phrase end something with something

    Synonyms finish; stop

    Antonyms begin; start

  3. have as last parthave something as the last part or as the result

    End with names the last part of something (end with a song). End in names what finally happens as a result (end in divorce), or the last letter or sound of a word.

    intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

    Collocations

    verb + preposition end in failure, end in a draw, end in divorce, end with a song

  4. reach a pointstop at a particular point or place

    The subject is a road, path, line, or area, or something long such as hair.

    intransitive [I] verb + adverb or preposition [V + adv/prep]

    Collocations

    noun + verb the road ends, the path ends, the line ends

Word family

  • end
  • ending
  • endless
  • unending

Choosing between end · finish · stop

Finish is used most for completing a task or activity, and can be followed by an -ing form: I finished eating. End is used for events, periods, and situations that reach their last point: the war ended; it is not followed by an -ing form. Stop means an action does not go on, even if it is not complete: the rain stopped.

Common mistakes

I ended reading the book last night. I finished reading the book last night.
End is not followed by an -ing form; use finish.
The concert ended in ten o'clock. The concert ended at ten o'clock.
Use at for a time; end in is for a result, such as end in failure.

See also end up

For translators

Grammar trap End takes at for a time or a stopping point (ended at six, ends at the river), with for the last part (ended with a song), and in for a result (ended in divorce). It is not followed by an -ing form: use finish instead.