いかさま

い

か

さ

ま

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', na-adjective

fraud; cheating; fake

usually written using kana alone

Refers to dishonest schemes, rigged games, or counterfeit items. Often used in gambling or scam contexts.

Kanji

如likeness, like, such as
何what
様Esq., way, manner

Related words

インチキN1
いかさま and インチキ both mean cheating or trickery, but いかさま leans toward rigged games or gambling while インチキ is a broader, everyday word for any kind of fraud or fakeness.
詐さ欺ぎN2
いかさま usually refers to cheating in games, gambling, or contests, whereas 詐欺 covers fraud in a broader, often financial or legal sense.

Written forms

いかさまUsage70%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 如何様 is rare and archaic.
イカサマUsage22%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is common in informal writing and manga.
如何様いかさまUsage8%
Rare kanji spelling; mostly historical or literary.
いか様さま

Etymology

Derived from 如何 (いか, 'how') + 様 (さま, 'state/appearance'), originally meaning 'in what way' or 'how'. The shift to 'fraud' likely came from the idea of something being not what it seems. The archaic emphatic use is a direct extension of the original meaning.