1.
to underestimate; to take lightly; to not take seriously
To assume something is not a big deal and underestimate its importance or difficulty. Often used when someone's casual attitude leads to unexpected trouble.
高を括っていた。
I underestimated it.
試験を高を括って落ちた。
I took the exam lightly and failed.
台風が来ると聞いても高を括っていたが、被害は予想以上だった。
Even after hearing a typhoon was coming, I didn't take it seriously, but the damage was worse than expected.
高 here means the extent or amount of something, and 括る means to bundle or estimate. The idiom literally means "to estimate the total as small" — to assume something is not a big deal.
COMMON FORMS:
- 高を括って: underestimating (て-form, most common)
- 高を括っていた: was underestimating (past progressive)
- 高を括る: to underestimate (dictionary form)
USAGE:
Almost always used when the underestimation leads to trouble or a bad outcome. Carries a tone of regret or criticism. Often used with と or が to explain what went wrong.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- 〜を高を括って失敗した: underestimated ~ and failed
- 高を括っていたら大変なことになった: because I underestimated it, things got serious
SIMILAR EXPRESSIONS:
- 甘く見る: to underestimate, take lightly (more casual)
- 侮る: to look down on, underestimate (literary)
- 油断する: to let one's guard down