banzai

See also: banzaï

English

Etymology

From Japanese 万歳(ばんざい) (banzai, long live..., huzzah, hurrah), from Middle Chinese 萬歲 (mjonH sjwejH), from Old Chinese 萬歲 (*mans s-qʷʰats, 10,000 years [of life]”, i.e. “immortality), from  / (wàn, 10,000)  / (suì, year (of age)).

Compare Mandarin 萬歲万岁 (wànsùi).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɑːnˈzaɪ/, /ˈbænˈzaɪ/
  • Hyphenation: ban‧zai

Adjective

banzai (comparative more banzai, superlative most banzai)

  1. Thrill-seeking; wild.
    • 1991, Cycle World: Volume 30:
      Still, the Seca II isn't meant to be a racebike, and power is adequate for all but the most banzai backroad blitzing.

Derived terms

  • banzai attack
  • banzai board
  • banzai charge
  • banzai crazy
  • Banzai pipeline
  • go banzai

Interjection

banzai

  1. A cry or cheer of enthusiasm, or to celebrate victory.

Translations

Noun

banzai (plural banzais)

  1. A cry or cheer of "banzai", to express enthusiasm or celebrate victory.
  2. Clipping of banzai charge.

Verb

banzai (third-person singular simple present banzais, present participle banzaiing, simple past and past participle banzaied)

  1. (ambitransitive) To carry out a banzai charge (against).

Anagrams

Indonesian

Etymology

From Japanese 万歳 (banzai, long live..., huzzah, hurrah).

Pronunciation

Noun

banzai

  1. a cry or cheer of "banzai", to express enthusiasm or celebrate victory

Further reading

Japanese

Romanization

banzai

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ばんざい