banzai
banzai Lexical Profile
banzai Game Scores & Validity
• interjection
A traditional Japanese cheer of celebration, triumph, or patriotic enthusiasm meaning 'may you live ten thousand years'.
"The crowd raised their arms and shouted 'banzai!' three times to celebrate the New Year."
• adjective
Reckless, desperate, or undertaken without regard for personal safety.
"The skier made a banzai run down the steepest, most icy slope on the mountain."
• noun
A shout or cheer of 'banzai' used as a greeting, celebration, or rallying cry.
"The stadium echoed with loud banzais after the home team secured the championship title."
A massed, desperate infantry charge by Japanese soldiers during World War II.
"The historical documentary examined the tactical history of the final banzai on the island."
Word Nuance & Usage
While originally a celebratory Japanese greeting wishing long life to the emperor, in English usage the term is heavily associated with desperate World War II military charges and reckless, high-risk actions.
• Rhymes for banzai
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese 'banzai', literally meaning 'ten thousand years' (a traditional wish for long life), itself derived from Middle Chinese 'wan sui'.