unfinished activities

[ˌʌnˈfɪnɪʃt ækˈtɪvɪtiz]
noun phrase
atividades inacabadas
1. Tasks, projects, or work that have been started but not completed or brought to conclusion
The manager reviewed the list of unfinished activities from last quarter.
O gerente revisou a lista de atividades inacabadas do trimestre passado.
2. In psychology, tasks or situations left incomplete that occupy mental attention (Zeigarnik effect)
Unfinished activities tend to stick in our memory more than completed ones.
As atividades inacabadas tendem a ficar mais na nossa memória do que as concluídas.
3. Work items or responsibilities that remain pending or incomplete in a professional or personal context
She made a priority list of her unfinished activities before the meeting.
Ela fez uma lista de prioridades das suas atividades inacabadas antes da reunião.
The concept of 'unfinished activities' is particularly relevant in modern workplace culture in both Brazil and the USA, where project management and task completion are emphasized. In psychology, this connects to the Zeigarnik effect, a phenomenon well-studied in cognitive science. Brazilian workplaces often use 'atividades inacabadas' in formal project management contexts, while 'tarefas pendentes' is more colloquial.
NYC Slang
open loops; loose ends
Synonyms / Sinônimos
incomplete activitiespending tasksunfinished workoutstanding activitieswork in progress
Antonyms / Antônimos
finished activitiescompleted tasksaccomplished workfinalized activities

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
atividades inacabadas
Most common and formal usage
General Brazilian
tarefas pendentes
Alternative, slightly more colloquial
São Paulo
atividades em andamento
Sometimes used to mean 'in progress' rather than unfinished
Portugal
atividades por terminar
European Portuguese preference

Related Words

task managementproject completionwork backlogprocrastinationproductivitydeadline

Related Idioms & Phrases

loose ends
work in progress
unfinished business
left hanging
on the back burner
Look up more words on Fala2Me
The free English-Portuguese dictionary with real Brazilian accents, NYC slang, conjugator and more
Open Fala2Me →