Meanings
comparative more banzai · superlative most banzai
- A cry or cheer of enthusiasm, or to celebrate victory.
plural banzais
- A cry or cheer of "banzai", to express enthusiasm or celebrate victory.
- abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of banzai charge.
present singular third person banzais · participle present banzaiing · participle past banzaied · past banzaied
- ambitransitiveTo carry out a banzai charge (against).
Origin
- Old Chinese萬歲“10,000 years [of life]”, i.e. “immortality”
- Middle Chinese萬歲
- Englishbanzai
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 萬 /万 (wàn, “10,000”) 歲 /岁 (suì, “year (of age)”). Compare Mandarin 萬歲／万岁 (wànsùi).
More words from Middle Chinese, Old Chinese
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 萬歲 /万岁
- 萬歲 /万岁 (wànsuì)a celebratory cheer
French banzaï
- banzaïa celebratory cheer
Hindi बांज़ाइ
- बांज़ाइ (bānzāi)a celebratory cheer
Hungarian banzáj
- banzája celebratory cheer
Indonesian banzai
- banzaia celebratory cheer
Japanese 万歳
- 万歳 (banzai)a celebratory cheer
Korean 만세
- 만세 (manse)a celebratory cheer
Portuguese banzai
- banzaia celebratory cheer
Russian банза́й, бандза́й
- банза́й (banzáj)a celebratory cheer
- бандза́й (bandzáj)a celebratory cheer
Vietnamese vạn tuế, muôn năm
- vạn tuếa celebratory cheer
- muôn năma celebratory cheer
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
banzai. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banzai
“banzai.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banzai. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “banzai,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/banzai.
Source: banzai on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.