Englishfor English speakers
lack
Noun
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If there is a lack of something, there is not enough of it or it doesn't exist at all.
He was frustrated by the lack of progress.
There is a lack of clarity about where the money is to come from.
He was happy with his life, despite his lack of family.
Many parents try to compensate for their lack of time with children by spending money on them.
They cite the lack of seat belts for the injuries.
There's no lack of beaches in Hawai'i.
Her teachers complained about her lack of attention.
Food or the lack thereof could be easily used as a weapon.
South African art museums are suffering from a lack of official funding.
His head ached, mostly due to a lack of food and sleep.
Lack of coordination made the 23 separate anti-gang programs ineffective.
The purpose of this study is to address the relative lack of empirical research on adults.
lack
Verb
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If you lack something, you don't have it, or you don't have enough of it.
He lacked the time and expertise to get the job done.
Young people lack the necessary knowledge to make good business decisions.
These materials lack sufficient strength to be used in building.
Some adults lack the basic skills necessary to earn a living.
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If you lack for something, you don't have it, or you don't have enough of it.
She had never lacked for anything in her life.
finish
Verb
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If something finishes, it stops and doesn't start again; it comes to the end.
I finish work at 4:30 and I get home at 5:00.
In June of 1992 I had just finished university and I was looking for a job.
She finished off her homework and put it away.
Finish up your lunch quickly, please.
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If something finishes somebody off, it uses all their energy or it kills them.
That last run around the track completely finished me off.
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If you finish something up, you use the last of it.
I finished up the milk this morning. There's none left.
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If you are finished with something, you don't need it anymore.
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If you finish the surface of something, especially wood, you make it smooth and ready to use.
finish
Noun
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The finish is the last part or end of something.
As the runners come to the finish, they are side by side.
It was a good day from start to finish.
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The finish is the way a surface looks after it has been made smooth and ready to use.
The oil gives the wood a smooth, deep finish.