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 last time a tsunami warning was issued for the Bay Area was in January 2022, after the eruption of the Hunga Tonga volcano, said Dalton Behringer with the weather service. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024 No tsunami is currently heading toward California, and the tsunami warning issued after Thursday's earthquake has been officially canceled. Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024 An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday, briefly prompting a tsunami warning and leaving residents rattled from Southern Oregon to the San Joaquin Valley in California. Jesus Jiménez, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024 On Thursday, Bluesky had another big news event: a tsunami warning that kept much of Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, on edge for over an hour, sharing updates, cracking jokes, and relishing the fact that there was a new place to go to discuss these things. Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 6 Dec. 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 17 Dec. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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