骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)

ほねおりぞん
noun
wasted effort; fruitless labor
1. wasted effort; fruitless labor
effort that yields no result or benefit; work done in vain
結局(けっきょく)骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)だった。
In the end, it was all wasted effort.
骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)に終(お)わった。
It ended up being a waste of effort.
準備(じゅんび)したのに骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)になった。
Despite my preparations, it was all for nothing.

骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん) describes effort that produces no reward.

WORD FORMATION:

  • 骨折(ほねお)り (great effort, pains - literally "bone-breaking")
  • 損(ぞん) (loss, damage)

FULL PROVERB:

「骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)のくたびれ儲(もう)け」

(All that effort for nothing but exhaustion)

  • A proverb meaning hard work that only results in tiredness, with no gain.

USAGE:

  • 骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)になる (to end up being wasted effort)
  • 骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)に終(お)わる (to end in vain)
  • 骨折(ほねお)り損(ぞん)だった (it was a waste of effort)

SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:

  • 無駄(むだ)骨(ぼね) (wasted effort)
  • 徒労(とろう) (futile effort)
  • 水(みず)の泡(あわ) (come to nothing)
general
Added 2026.1.25 9:32
08000/08029_honeorizon