骨ほね折おり

ほ

ね

お

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun

effort; trouble; pains

Refers to the effort, trouble, or hard work one puts into something, often with a nuance of going out of one's way. Common in phrases like 骨折り損 (wasted effort) and 骨折り甲斐 (reward for one's effort).

彼かれの骨ほね折お

り

で

、

プロジェクト

は

成せい

功こう

し

た

。

Thanks to his efforts, the project was a success.

骨ほね折おり損ぞんのくたびれもうけだった。

It was all wasted effort for nothing.

Expressions

骨ほね折おり甲斐がいがあるbe worth the effort; be worth the trouble

Kanji

骨skeleton, bone, remains
折fold, break, fracture

Related words

努ど力りょくN3
骨折り implies physical or mental toil and trouble, often with a nuance of hardship, whereas 努力 is a broader, more neutral term for effort.
苦く労ろうN3
骨折り emphasizes physical exertion or effort put into a task, while 苦労 also covers the mental strain and worry involved.

Don't confuse with

骨ほね抜ぬき
骨折り means effort or hard work despite sharing the kanji 骨 with 骨抜き, which instead means removing bones or gutting something of its substance.

Word family

骨ほね折おり損ぞん
waste of effort; vain effort; labor in vain
無む駄だ骨ぼね折おり
wasted effort; laboring in vain

Etymology

Compound of 骨 (bone) and 折り (breaking), literally 'bone-breaking', figuratively referring to strenuous effort or trouble.