1.
management, disposal, handling
Taking care of a problem or situation, cleaning up, or dealing with the aftermath of something. Often implies tidying up a mess or resolving a troublesome situation.
自分の始末は自分でつけなさい。
Clean up after yourself.
事故の後始末に追われている。
We are busy dealing with the aftermath of the accident.
散らかした部屋の始末をしてから出かけなさい。
Tidy up the messy room before you go out.
2.
circumstances, outcome, state of affairs
The way things have turned out, especially a bad or troublesome outcome. Used to describe an unfortunate state that has resulted from someone's actions. Often carries a tone of exasperation.
何度注意しても聞かず、この始末だ。
No matter how many times I warned them, they wouldn't listen, and this is the result.
無理をした挙句、体を壊すという始末だ。
After pushing too hard, the outcome was that they ruined their health.
約束を破った挙句に逆ギレする始末で、呆れてしまった。
After breaking the promise, they had the nerve to get angry — I was dumbfounded at how things turned out.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 始末をつける: to settle/take care of a matter
- 始末が悪い: hard to deal with, troublesome
- 後始末: cleanup, dealing with the aftermath
- この始末だ: this is the (sorry) result
- 〜という始末だ: ...is how things ended up (exasperated)
- 始末書: written apology/incident report
SENSE DISTINCTION:
Sense 1 (management) is active — you 始末する something. Sense 2 (outcome) is descriptive — you observe この始末 (this sorry state). The pattern 〜という始末だ or この始末だ expresses the speaker's exasperation at a bad outcome.