otaku

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UK/əʊˈtɑːkuː/UK[əʊ̯ˈtʰɑːkʰuː]US/oʊˈtɑku/US[o̞ʊ̯ˈtʰɑkʰu]

noun

One with an obsessive interest in something, particularly (originally derogatory) an obsessive Japanese fan of anime or manga.

Less commonScrabble 9

Meanings

nounotaku (plural otakus or otaku)

plural otakus

  1. slanglifestyleOne with an obsessive interest in something, particularly (originally derogatory) an obsessive Japanese fan of anime or manga.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Origin

  1. Japaneseオタク“geek, nerd”
  2. Englishotaku

From Japanese オタク (otaku, “geek, nerd”) originally used in reference to the 1982 Macross fandom, from the honorific form お宅 (otaku, “you”), from the honorific form 宅 (taku, “home”) ("your home").

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic أُوتَاكُو, عُطَاكُو
  • أُوتَاكُو (ʔūtākū)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • عُطَاكُو (ʕuṭākū)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Bengali ওতাকু
  • ওতাকু (ōtaku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Chinese Cantonese 御宅族
  • 御宅族one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Chinese Mandarin 宅男, 宅女
  • 宅男 (zháinán)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 宅女 (zháinǚ)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 粉絲 /粉丝 (fěnsī)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 二次元 (èrcìyuán)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • ACGone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 御宅族 (yùzháizú)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 哈日族 (hārìzú)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 死宅 (sǐzhái)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Esperanto otako
  • otakoone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Finnish otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
French otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
German Otaku
  • Otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Greek οτάκου
  • οτάκου (otákou)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Hebrew אוֹטָאקוּ
  • אוֹטָאקוּ (otáku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Hindi ओताकु
  • ओताकु (otāku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Indonesian otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Italian otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Japanese オタク, ヲタク
  • オタクone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • ヲタク (otaku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • おたく (kana)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Korean 오타쿠, 오덕후
  • 오타쿠 (otaku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 오덕후 (odeokhu)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
  • 씹덕 (ssipdeok)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Persian اتاکو
  • اتاکو (otâku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Polish otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Portuguese otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Romanian otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Russian ота́ку
  • ота́ку (otáku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Spanish otaku
  • otakuone with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Thai โอะตะกุ
  • โอะตะกุ (ò-dtà-gù)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga
Ukrainian ота́ку
  • ота́ку (otáku)one with an obsessive interest in something such as anime or manga

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

otaku. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/otaku

MLA

“otaku.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/otaku. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “otaku,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/otaku.

Source: otaku on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.