功虧一簣

1. • lit. to ruin the enterprise for the sake of one basketful
2. • to fail through lack of a final effort
3. • to spoil the ship for a ha'penny worth of tar (idiom)

Character by character

• 功(gōng)meritorious deed or service
• 虧(kuī)lose
• 一(yī)one
• 簣(kuì)basket for carrying soil