tsunami

noun

tsu·​na·​mi (t)su̇-ˈnä-mē How to pronounce tsunami (audio)
plural tsunamis also tsunami
: a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption : tidal wave
tsunamic adjective

Examples of tsunami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The tsunami churned up elements such as iron and brought them to the surface. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 After hobbling to the stage and spewing out that boob from her head to the horror of a crowd calling for her execution, her body detonates, unleashing a tsunami of blood that took two weeks to shoot. Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2024 Despite a plethora of forecasts that assumed the loss of reproductive rights would not sway the election, Dobbs played a major role in turning that red wave into a pink tsunami. Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024 What Happened to the Reactor The reactor is one of the three at the Onagawa plant, north of the Fukushima Daiichi plant where three reactors melted following a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, releasing large amounts of radiation. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for tsunami 

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from tsu harbor + nami wave

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tsunami was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near tsunami

Cite this Entry

“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tsunami. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tsunami

noun
tsu·​na·​mi (t)su̇-ˈnäm-ē How to pronounce tsunami (audio)
: a great sea wave produced especially by an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the sea : tidal wave
Etymology

Japanese, from tsu "harbor" + nami "wave"

More from Merriam-Webster on tsunami

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