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Glite Dictionary
⏸️ To leave incomplete 🪵 To remove coating
to unfinish

to unfinish

9.6
To remove paint, varnish, or polish from an object
  • verb
  • /ʌnˈfɪnɪʃ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : desacabado
  • After years of use, they chose to unfinish the table to restore its original wood surface.

Examples

  • You should unfinish the cabinet to remove the damaged varnish before applying a new coat.

  • The craftsman decided to unfinish the old chair before repainting it.

  • He decided to unfinish the old table.

  • The craftsmen unfinish the wood before applying a new coat.

  • The craftsman decided to unfinish the old chair before repainting it.

  • You should unfinish the cabinet to remove the damaged varnish before applying a new coat.

  • After years of use, they chose to unfinish the table to restore its original wood surface.

Synonyms

to unpaint
vsto unfinish
8.4

To remove a layer of colour from a wall or other surface

is used to remove any surface coating or protective layer rather than only colored coats
to abrase
vsto unfinish
  • Archaic
9.9

Wear away the surface of something by rubbing or scraping

is a deliberate removal of a surface coating rather than slow wearing away

Antonyms

finish
  • Specialized
46 3.9

A protective or decorative layer on a surface

How Finished

to refinish
9 6.1
to unfinish
  • Specialized
9.6
to strip
  • Specialized
15 6.3

Surface Forms

unfinish infinitive
unfinished past
unfinished past participle
unfinishing present participle
unfinishes third person singular

Morphology

unfinish = finish (transparent) = un + finish

The verb is formed by 'un-' applied to the noun 'finish' with the meaning 'remove the finish', a transparent reversative use of 'un-'.

Etymology

Unfinish is also made from un- and finish, but here un- means 'remove' (as in unwrap) and finish means a 'top coat' like paint or varnish. That's why to unfinish a chair is to take off its varnish or paint and show the raw wood underneath.