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achever

finish, complete

verb ah-shuh-VEH Less Common

Also means

finish off (kill)

Usage Note

Achever means to bring something fully to its end; it is stronger than finir and often implies reaching a definitive conclusion. The expression c'est ce qui m'a achevé (that finished me off) is used humorously for something exhausting or the last straw. Note the è (open e) in conjugated forms: il achève.

Examples

"Elle a achevé son roman après dix ans."

Natural Translation

She finished her novel after ten years.

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