JLPT N2 grammar
〜あげく（に） — Meaning & Examples
And after all that... — a long process ending in a disappointing or ironic result. 悩んだあげく、買わなかった. Cannot follow a good outcome.
〜あげく（に）— The Exhausted Outcome
〜あげく（に）= "and after all that (bad thing happened)." It describes a long, troublesome process that ends in a disappointing or ironic result — the grammatical equivalent of a sigh.
Formation: verb-た form + あげく（に）, or noun + の + あげく（に）
何時間も悩んだあげく、結局買わなかった。
= After hours of agonising over it, in the end I didn't buy it.
長い間並んだあげくに、チケットは売り切れだった。
= After standing in line for a long time, the tickets ended up sold out.
Noun + の + あげく：
議論のあげく、何も決まらなかった。
= After all that arguing, nothing got decided.
The signature feel of あげく: effort was spent, and it was wasted or the result is ironic/disappointing. It almost never appears with a happy ending — if you catch yourself about to write something positive after あげく, you've picked the wrong pattern.
❌ 頑張ったあげく、合格した。 (success — wrong tone for あげく)
✅ 頑張った末に、合格した。 (use 末に instead — see next section)
Practice questions
Try these 3 questions on 〜あげく（に）. Pick an answer in your head, then open “Show answer”.
1. 何時間も悩んだあげく、結局買わなかった means?
- After hours of thought, I bought it
- I bought it without thinking
- After hours of agonising, in the end I didn't buy it
- I never thought about buying it
Show answer
Answer: After hours of agonising, in the end I didn't buy it
〜あげく（に）= a long process ending in a disappointing/ironic result. Effort was spent and it didn't pay off.
2. Why is 頑張ったあげく、合格した unnatural?
- あげく needs a noun before it
- あげく almost never precedes a good outcome
- 合格する cannot take あげく
- It needs the て form
Show answer
Answer: あげく almost never precedes a good outcome
あげく carries an exasperated, usually negative charge. For a positive result after effort, use 末に: 頑張った末に、合格した。
3. 何度も失敗した末に、ついに成功した means?
- I succeeded without failing
- After failing many times, I gave up
- After failing many times, I finally succeeded
- I failed after succeeding
Show answer
Answer: After failing many times, I finally succeeded
〜末に is neutral about outcome and can be positive — unlike あげく, which cannot describe a success like this.
Practise 〜あげく（に） in the free app
This point is part of the “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで” lesson in A Star Japanese. Study it with examples, a quiz, flashcards and timed JLPT N2 mock exams. Free on iPhone and Android.
Free on iPhone and Android · No ads
Related N2 grammar points
From the same lesson: 😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜あげく（に） mean?
And after all that... — a long process ending in a disappointing or ironic result. 悩んだあげく、買わなかった. Cannot follow a good outcome.
Is 〜あげく（に） on the JLPT N2 test?
〜あげく（に） is taught in the JLPT N2 grammar course in A Star Japanese (lesson “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで”), so it is a pattern learners at this level are expected to recognise. The JLPT does not publish an official grammar list, so treat this as a study guide rather than an official requirement.
How can I practise 〜あげく（に）?
Open the “😤 Cause, Blame & Outcome — あげく・末に・ばかりに・せいで” lesson in the free A Star Japanese app for iPhone and Android. It has examples, a quiz after every lesson, flashcards with spaced repetition and timed JLPT N2 mock exams, with no ads.