GRAMMAR DETAIL

〜羽目になる

end up having to

Indicates that circumstances or a mistake led to an unwanted and troublesome outcome.

Examples

準備を怠ったため、全員の前で謝る羽目になった。

Because I neglected the preparations, I ended up having to apologize in front of everyone.

予定を忘れて、皆を待たせる羽目になった。

I forgot the schedule and ended up keeping everyone waiting.

降りるはずの駅を乗り過ごし、遠い駅から歩く羽目になった。

I missed the station where I was supposed to get off and ended up having to walk from a distant station.

Structure: Follow a dictionary-form verb with 羽目になる to describe being led by circumstances or a mistake into an unwanted, troublesome outcome.
Basic usage: 準備を怠ったため、全員の前で謝る羽目になった。 means that neglecting the preparations left the speaker having to apologize in front of everyone.

Reading and past tense
- 羽目 is read はめ. For a past outcome, put なる in the past: use 謝る羽目になった, not 謝った羽目になる.
Evaluation compared with ことになる
- 歩くことになった can describe ending up walking in a relatively neutral way. 歩く羽目になった includes the speaker's assessment of that outcome as unwanted or troublesome.