Nuance Dictionary / Love & Emotions
미련 mi-ryeon
Lingering attachment or inability to let go of the past
What does 미련 mean?
미련 (mi-ryeon) means: Lingering attachment or inability to let go of the past.
If you keep checking your ex's Instagram a year after breaking up, you have '미련'. It is a pathetic but deeply human reluctance to accept that something is truly over.
Other sides of 미련
◆ romantic lingering attachment — Textbooks translate this as 'regret,' but in modern life, 미련 is the ghost that haunts the space long after a breakup. It’s not just missing someone; it’s the lingering hope that you can still turn back time, the text you almost sent at 2 AM, and the emotional baggage your friends stage an intervention over. Learners often think it means simple sadness, but natives use it when someone is refusing to accept reality and torturing themselves over the past.
◆ career and goal fixation — Textbooks teach you this word for ex-lovers, but in real life, Koreans use it most sharply for ambitions that have expired. When someone spends five years failing the civil service exam or clinging to a bankrupt business, *미련* is the psychological anchor keeping them stuck. It carries a heavy mix of pity, self-loathing, and delusion—signaling that you refuse to accept reality because the sunk cost is too high to bear.
◆ career and goal fixation — Textbooks teach you this word for ex-lovers, but in real life, Koreans use it most sharply for ambitions that have expired. When someone spends five years failing the civil service exam or clinging to a bankrupt business, *미련* is the psychological anchor keeping them stuck. It carries a heavy mix of pity, self-loathing, and delusion—signaling that you refuse to accept reality because the sunk cost is too high to bear.
How it's actually used
- 이미 끝난 일에 미련 갖지 마.
imi kkeunnan ire miryeon gatji ma.
Don't dwell on something that's already over.
💡 Commonly used with verbs like 갖다 (to hold onto) or 남다 (to remain). - 헤어졌지만 아직 미련이 남아서 연락을 하게 돼요.
hayeojyeotjiman ajik miryeoni namaseo yeonrageul hage dwaeyo.
We broke up, but I still have lingering feelings so I end up reaching out.
💡 Often used in the context of past romantic relationships. - 이미 끝난 관계인데 더 이상 미련 갖지 마.
imi kkeunnan gwan-geainde deo isang miryeon gatji ma.
It's already over, so don't hold onto lingering attachments anymore.
💡 Often used to advise someone to move on from the past.