見切りをつける

• Reading: みきりをつける
• Romaji: mikiri wo tsukeru
• Kanji breakdown: 見 (ken/mi) — see; 切 (setsu/ki) — cut, sever, limit
• Pronunciation: /mi.ki.ɾi.o.tsɯ.ke.ɾɯ/

Meaning

To give up on; to write off as hopeless; to abandon something after deciding it has no future.

A compound expression combining 見切り (the act of seeing through something to its limit, then cutting it off) and をつける (to apply, to affix). The phrase conveys a deliberate, decisive judgement that further investment of time, money, or effort is futile. It is used in business, relationships, and personal projects where one consciously decides to stop before incurring further loss. Unlike 諦める (to give up), it implies a calculated assessment rather than defeat.

Examples

1. 何年も結果が出なかった事業に、ついに見切りをつけて撤退した。 After years of no results, they finally gave up on the business and pulled out.
2. 彼は将来性のない職場に見切りをつけ、転職を決意した。 He wrote off the dead-end workplace and decided to change jobs.
3. 株価が下がり続けるうちに見切りをつけて売却したのは正解だった。 Cutting my losses and selling the stock while it kept dropping turned out to be the right call.

Usage Guide

Context: business, career, investment, relationships

Tone: decisive

Origin & History

From 見切り (mikiri — seeing through to the end, the point of no return) combined with をつける (to apply, to mark). The image is of marking the limit of something and deciding to proceed no further.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: All classes