有終之美

yǒu zhōng zhī měi

a successful conclusion; to end well

做事不仅要有好的开始，更要有終之美。

When doing something, it is not enough to start well; you should also bring it to a successful conclusion.

Etymology

This idiom comes from Classical Chinese. It literally means “to have the beauty of an ending,” emphasizing the value of finishing something properly and gracefully.

Memory Aid

Think of 有 “to have” + 終 “ending” + 美 “beauty”: a task has “beauty at the end” when it is completed well.

Collocations

做到有終之美追求有終之美未能有終之美

Synonyms

善始善終圓滿收場

Antonyms

虎頭蛇尾半途而廢

Related Words

結束完成圓滿