noun

kamikaze

kah-mih-KAH-zee

noun

A suicide attack, or the person who carries one out, especially by deliberately crashing an aircraft into a target.

"The museum has a wing devoted to the history of kamikaze pilots in World War II."

"Historians still debate how many kamikaze attacks actually reached their targets."

Informally, someone who takes wildly excessive risks, as if their own safety doesn’t matter.

"He took the corner like a kamikaze, tyres screeching."

"Riding without a helmet like that is kamikaze behaviour."

A cocktail made from equal parts vodka, triple sec, and lime juice.

"The bar was famous for its ice-cold kamikazes."

adj

Reckless or suicidal, showing no regard for personal safety.

"It was a kamikaze move to overtake on that bend."

How to Use Kamikaze

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA deliberate, often fatal, act of extreme recklessness — from its historical military sense to its everyday use for anyone taking crazy risks.

When to use it

The historical military sense is neutral/factual; the "reckless person" sense is informal and can sound flippant given the word’s origin, so use it with some care.

Common pairings

kamikaze pilot kamikaze attack kamikaze move

Word Forms

kamikazed past tense, kamikazes plural, kamikazes singular

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The museum has a wing devoted to the history of _____ pilots in World War II.

Etymology

From Japanese kamikaze, literally "divine wind" — originally the name for the typhoon that wrecked a Mongol invasion fleet off Japan in 1281, later applied to WWII suicide pilots who saw themselves in the same protective role.

Rhymes for kamikaze

faze haze daze gaze maze raze baze amaze blaze craze glaze graze

See all rhymes for kamikaze →