noun
Common
ninja
NIHND-zhuh
Ninja (noun) means Historically, a covert agent in feudal Japan trained in stealth, espionage, and combat. Example: “Old stories describe a ninja climbing castle walls in the dark.”
noun
1
Historically, a covert agent in feudal Japan trained in stealth, espionage, and combat.
"Old stories describe a ninja climbing castle walls in the dark."
"The film follows a young ninja training in a mountain village."
"The museum exhibit displayed weapons once used by real ninja."
2
(informal) Someone highly skilled at moving unnoticed or acting with great speed and precision.
"That waiter is a real ninja, slipping between the tables without a sound."
"She snuck out of the meeting like a ninja."
"He's a total spreadsheet ninja — nobody in the office can match his speed."
verb
1
(informal, internet) To beat someone to posting a reply, making their almost-finished response redundant.
"I was typing my answer, but she ninja'd me with a shorter one."
"Sorry, I got ninja'd by two other people while I was writing this post."
"I was about to answer, but you ninja'd me."
How to use ninja
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA stealthy historical Japanese agent, or informally, anyone impressively fast, sneaky, or skilled.
Common pairings
ninja skills
code ninja
ninja star
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like ninja.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- ninjas
- Third person singular
- ninjas
- Past tense
- ninjaed, ninja'd
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Old stories describe a _____ climbing castle walls in the dark.
Etymology
Borrowed from Japanese ninja (忍者), popularized in the West largely through films and novels of the late 20th century.
Class of 1900
ninja joined the language around 1900.
See the full Class of 1900 →
Synonyms
View more →Related words
Frequently asked questions
What does “ninja” mean?
The word “ninja” means historically, a covert agent in feudal Japan trained in stealth, espionage, and combat. In plain terms, a stealthy historical Japanese agent, or informally, anyone impressively fast, sneaky, or skilled.
How do you pronounce “ninja”?
“Ninja” is pronounced NIHND-zhuh (/ˈnɪnd͡ʒə/ in IPA).
How do you use “ninja” in a sentence?
Here is “ninja” used in a sentence: “The museum exhibit displayed weapons once used by real ninja.”
What is another word for “ninja”?
Words with a similar meaning to “ninja” include killer, spy, superspy, magician and secret agent.
What part of speech is “ninja”?
Depending on how it is used, “ninja” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “ninja” come from?
The word “ninja” dates back to around 1900 and comes from Japanese. Borrowed from Japanese ninja (忍者), popularized in the West largely through films and novels of the late 20th century.
Is “ninja” a common word?
“Ninja” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “ninja” have?
“Ninja” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: historically, a covert agent in feudal Japan trained in stealth, espionage, and combat.
What is the difference between a ninja and a samurai?
Samurai were the noble warrior class of feudal Japan who fought openly under a code of honor. Ninja were covert agents trained in stealth, espionage, and combat, working in secret rather than in open battle.
How is ninja used as a verb online?
In internet slang, to 'ninja' someone means to post a reply just before they finish theirs, making their almost-completed response redundant. It draws on the idea of acting with speed and going unnoticed.
What is the plural of ninja?
The plural is often 'ninja,' unchanged, following the Japanese original. The form 'ninjas' is also widely accepted in casual English.
What is the difference between a ninja and a shinobi?
Both refer to the covert agents of feudal Japan. 'Shinobi' is the reading more commonly used in Japanese, while 'ninja' became the popular term in English and around the world.
Featured in
Vocabulary lists that include ninja:
