This paper investigates the finite-time stabilization problem for a class of high-order uncertain nonlinear systems. The novel control strategy combining sign function with delicate adaptive technique can handle serious uncertainty and nonlinear growth rate. The convergent time can be adjusted arbitrarily by preassigning the design parameter. Finally, a numerical simulation example is given to show the effectiveness of the proposed design method. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.