All gone vs Finished
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
All gone
Top 2,000 (common)
Finished
Top 1,000 (very common)
Most common: Finished
| All gone | Finished | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ɔːl ɡɒn//🇺🇸 //ɔl gɑn// | 🇬🇧 //ˈfɪnɪʃt//🇺🇸 //ˈfɪnɪʃt// |
| Meaning | Everything has been used up or taken away. | Something that has been completed. |
| Example | The cookies are all gone after the party. | I have finally finished my homework. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) |
| Collocations | all gone now, it's all gone, are we all gone | finished product, finished work, finished line, finished task, finished state |
| Antonyms | - | unfinished, incomplete |
| Common mistakes | Using 'all gone' incorrectly as a verb phrase, e.g., 'I am all gone.', Forgetting to use in contexts indicating emptiness., Confusing with 'gone all' which is not standard English. | Confusing 'finished' with 'finishing' or 'finish'., Using 'finished' with a noun when an alternative verb is needed., Incorrectly using 'finished' in the future tense. |
| Usage notes | Use 'all gone' casually to indicate something is finished. Not typically used in formal contexts. | Use 'finished' to describe something that is complete. Avoid using it in formal writing where 'completed' might be preferred. |
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Frequently asked questions: All gone vs Finished
What's the difference between All gone and Finished?
All gone: Everything has been used up or taken away. Finished: Something that has been completed.
Which is more common: All gone and Finished?
Finished is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
All gone: The cookies are all gone after the party. Finished: I have finally finished my homework.
Can I use All gone and Finished interchangeably?
Not always. All gone and Finished are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.