ずるける

ず

る

け

る

Meanings

1

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

shirk duties; be idle; play truant

usually written using kana alone

Used for avoiding work, school, or responsibilities out of laziness or slyness. Often carries a negative, critical tone.

彼かれはよく仕し事ごとをずるけて、喫きっ茶さ店てんで時じ間かんをつぶしている。
He often shirks work and kills time at a coffee shop.

学がっ校こうをずるけるなんて、感かん心しんしないね。

I don't approve of playing truant from school.

2

ichidan verb, intransitive verb

come loose; come undone; get untied

usually written using kana alone

Describes something that was tied, fastened, or secured becoming loose or undone by itself. Less common than sense 1.

靴くつひもがずるけて、歩あるきにくかった。
My shoelace came undone and it was hard to walk.

Written forms

ずるけるUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 狡ける is rare.
狡ずるける
Rare kanji spelling; learners should use the kana form.

Kanji

狡cunning, sly, crafty

Similar words

サボる
サボる is a more common and casual word for skipping work or school, while ずるける emphasizes laziness or sly avoidance of duty.
怠なまける
怠ける means to be lazy or idle in general, not necessarily avoiding a specific duty; ずるける focuses on shirking a particular task or obligation.
緩ゆるむ
緩む is the standard word for something becoming loose or slack; ずるける in the 'come loose' sense is rarer and more colloquial.

Etymology

Derived from the adjective ずるい (sly, cunning) with the verb-forming suffix ける, implying acting in a sly or lazy manner. The 'come loose' sense may be a figurative extension, but the exact derivation is uncertain.