ゆすり

ゆ

す

り

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

blackmail; extortion; racketeering

usually written using kana alone

The act of threatening to reveal secrets or cause harm in order to obtain money or favors.

Kanji

強strong
請solicit, invite, ask
揺swing, shake, sway

Related words

無む心しんN1
無心 is asking or pestering someone (often shamelessly) for money without real threats, whereas 強請 implies outright extortion or blackmail.
恐きょう喝かつ
強請り is the colloquial word for a shakedown or the act/person doing it, while 恐喝 is the formal legal term used in crime reporting and law.

Written forms

ゆすりUsage78%
Usually written in kana. The kanji forms 強請り and 強請 are rare and may be confused with other readings.
揺ゆすりUsage18%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; the kanji 揺 suggests shaking, which is etymologically related.
ユスリUsage4%
強請ゆすり
Rare kanji form; the reading ゆすり is not obvious from the kanji.
強請ゆすり
Rare kanji form; may be misread as きょうせい.

Etymology

Derived from the verb 揺する (yusuru, 'to shake'), referring to the act of shaking someone down for money. The kanji 強請 is an ateji assignment based on meaning.