tsunami

noun

tsu·​na·​mi (t)su̇-ˈnä-mē How to pronounce tsunami (audio)
plural tsunamis also tsunami
Synonyms of tsunaminext
: 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
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Others see the sea change as less a legal tsunami than a tidal cultural shift — one jurors in New Mexico and California are riding, not speaking into existence. Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026 Tech giants are about to face a tsunami of lawsuits, from parents, young users, states, schools, and others who have railed against children’s exposure to social media. Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 26 Mar. 2026 The island nation is about 1,800 kilometers (1,100 miles) northeast of New Zealand, where disaster management officials said Tuesday that there was no tsunami threat to the country. ABC News, 24 Mar. 2026 The devastating earthquake and tsunami of 2011 triggered the same kind of hoarding behavior, though apparently there were some actual disruptions in affected regions. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 23 Mar. 2026 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

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Cite this Entry

“Tsunami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tsunami. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.

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"

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