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
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.
But pop-punk and emo’s meteoric rise wouldn’t be complete without bands like Motion City Soundtrack, Gym Class Heroes, and Cartel, who each helped build the genre’s wave into a tsunami in the early-aughts. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Dec. 2025 With all that data, the Rubin Observatory may deliver a tsunami of unprecedented astronomical discoveries. Keith Cooper, Space.com, 28 Dec. 2025 That reversibility could reduce transport costs while enabling fast setup in emergencies, such as deploying a temporary field hospital after a tsunami. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 Dec. 2025 Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, located about 136 miles northwest of Tokyo, was among 54 reactors shut after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the Fukushima Daiichi plant in the worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. Reuters, NBC news, 22 Dec. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

More from Merriam-Webster on tsunami

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