ずる

ず

る

Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

1

cheating; foul play; sneaky act

usually written using kana alone

Refers to dishonest or underhanded behavior, often in games, exams, or everyday situations. Can be used as a noun or in the phrase ずるをする.

テストでずるをしてはいけません。
You must not cheat on the test.
彼かれはゲームでずるばかりする。
He always cheats in games.

2

cheater; sly person; cunning fellow

usually written using kana alone

Used to describe a person who habitually cheats or acts slyly. Often used in a derogatory or teasing way.

あいつは本ほん当とうにずるだな。
That guy is such a cheat.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

ずるをするto cheat, to play foul
彼かれはテストでずるをした。
He cheated on the test.
〈人ひと〉はずるだsomeone is a sly cheater
あいつは本ほん当とうにずるだ。
That guy is such a sneaky cheater.
ずるを見みつけるto catch someone cheating
先せん生せいはすぐに彼かれのずるを見みつけた。
The teacher immediately caught him cheating.
ずるをして〈動どう詞し〉to do something by cheating
ずるをして順じゅん番ばんを抜ぬかした。
He cut in line by cheating.

Kanji

狡cunning, sly, crafty

Related words

不ふ正せいN3sense 1
不正 is a formal, serious word for wrongdoing or fraud, while ずる refers to more casual, everyday cheating like sneaking a peek at an exam.
反はん則そくN1sense 1
反則 specifically means a foul or rule violation in games and sports, whereas ずる covers any sly cheating, formal or not.
インチキN1sense 1
インチキ is a colloquial word for something fake or rigged, often about scams, while ずる is broader and often used for small, personal acts of cheating.

Opposites

正しょう直じきN3sense 1
正直 means honesty, the direct opposite of the dishonest behavior described by ずる.
正しょう直じき者ものN3sense 2
正直者 means an honest person, the opposite of ずる used to mean a sly cheater.

Don't confuse with

ずるいN3
狡い(ずるい) is the adjective meaning 'sly/unfair', while ずる is the related noun for the act of cheating or the person who cheats.

Word family

ずるいN3
sly; cunning; unfair · stingy; miserly
ずるける
shirk duties; be idle; play truant · come loose; come undone; get untied

Written forms

ずるUsage43%
Hiragana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
ズルUsage57%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is also common, especially in casual or emphatic contexts.
狡ずる
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain, but it may be related to the adjective ずるい (sly). The word is colloquial and primarily used in spoken Japanese.