〜切りだ: meaning and usage

How to form it

• verb (ta-form)+きり+clause
• verb (ta-form)+きりだ
• verb (ta-form)+っきり
• それ+きり/っきり

How it is used

After A, what should have followed never happened, and things have stayed that way: 「出かけたきり帰ってこない」 (went out and never came back). Usually followed by a negative; 「っきり」 in speech. Different from 「〜たまま」, which keeps a state while something else happens.

Examples

1. 二週間前のデートで会って、それっきり彼女は一回も電話をかけてこない。

   Since our date 2 weeks ago, she has not called me even once.

2. 父は部屋に入ったきり、出てこない。

   My father went into his room and hasn't come out since.

3. この本は一度読んだきりで、ずっと本棚に置いてある。

   I read this book once, and it's been sitting on the shelf ever since.