ずじまいEnded up not, Did not (in the end), Never did

ずじまい is a grammar structure that combines the literary form of the classical auxiliary verb ぬ, ず 'not', and the voiced conjunctive form of the う-Verb しまう 'to finish', or 'to bring to a close', じまい. Like しまう, ずじまい will often indicate regret at something ending up a certain way. However, this regret is about '(A) not happening', due to the negation provided by ず.

This structure will be used following the indeterminate form of verbs. Common translations include 'to end up not (A)', and 'to not have done (A) in the end'.

• マウンテンバイクを買(か)ったが、使(つか)わずじまいで売(う)ってしまった。

  I bought a mountain bike, but I ended up selling it without using it.
• コンサートのチケットを買(か)ったが、色々(いろいろ)とやることがあって行(い)かずじまいだった。

  I bought the ticket to the concert, but I had a lot on my plate so I ended up not going.
• 日本(にほん)で使(つか)うために電子(でんし)辞書(じしょ)を持(も)っていったが、持(も)ち運(はこ)ぶのが面倒(めんどう)だったから結局(けっきょく)使(つか)わずじまいだった。

  I brought my electronic dictionary to Japan to use it there, but I ended up not using it because it was a pain to carry it.

ずじまい will often be followed by だった or でした, indicating that (A) was not something that turned out happening, despite the wishes or intentions of the doer.

Caution

As is always the case with ず, する will be altered to せず.

• 好(す)きな子(こ)に告白(こくはく)せずじまいで、高校(こうこう)を卒業(そつぎょう)してしまった。

  I ended up graduating highschool without confessing my feelings to the girl I liked.