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高をくくる (たかをくくる) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
expression, godan verb (-ru)
underestimate ; make light of ; think little of
usually written using kana alone
Used when someone misjudges a person, situation, or task as being easier or less significant than it really is, often leading to trouble. The phrase literally means 'to tie up the amount', implying a casual, dismissive assessment.
I took on this job thinking it would be easy, but it's harder than I expected.
Written forms 高たか をくくる
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; the kanji 高 is used for the noun part.
高たか を 括くく る
Variant using the kanji 括 for the verb part; less common but still seen.
タカをくくる
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling for the noun part; sometimes used for emphasis or stylistic effect.
タカを 括くく る
Mixed katakana-kanji spelling; rarely encountered.
Similar words 甘あま く 見み る Similar in meaning but more direct and less idiomatic; 高をくくる has a stronger nuance of careless dismissal based on a quick judgment.
侮あなど る Means to despise or look down on; 高をくくる focuses more on underestimating difficulty or capability rather than contempt.
Etymology The phrase originates from the verb くくる (to tie up, to bundle) and 高 (amount, quantity). It originally referred to roughly estimating or summing up an amount, which evolved into the figurative sense of making a rough, often overly optimistic, assessment of a situation.
