kamikaze

1 of 2

noun

ka·​mi·​ka·​ze ˌkä-mi-ˈkä-zē 

1

: a member of a Japanese air attack corps in World War II assigned to make a suicidal crash on a target (such as a ship)

2

: an airplane containing explosives to be flown in a suicide crash on a target

kamikaze

2 of 2

adjective

1

: of, relating to, or resembling a kamikaze

2

: having or showing reckless disregard for safety or personal welfare

Did you know?

In 1274 and 1281 Kublai Khan, the Mongol emperor of China, sent out great fleets to conquer Japan. Providential storms dispersed the fleets on both occasions and reinforced the Japanese belief that their gods would forever protect them. To the Japanese this salvation was kamikaze, “divine wind.” In World War II Japanese pilots who were willing to give up their lives to help save their country by destroying American ships were the members of a special corps named kamikaze after the storm that had saved Japan seven centuries earlier.

Synonyms

Adjective

• reckless
• daredevil
• daring

Examples of kamikaze in a Sentence

Adjective

a bike messenger who regularly cuts across busy city streets with a kamikaze boldness

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In response, Ukrainian tech innovators are looking for alternatives that would enable the robots to drive faster to increase their chances of completing their missions before they get spotted and bombed by Russian kamikaze drones. —Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 27 Oct. 2025

The incident occurred Saturday evening when a Haiti National Police task force launched two kamikaze drones during a gathering of gang members to celebrate the birthday of local gang leader, Albert Steevenson, alias Djouma, in Simon Pelé, west of the Airport Road. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025

Adjective

This hopelessly dreary production is intent on capturing only the compulsive, joyless comedown of its main character’s kamikaze choice to blow his life up. —Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Oct. 2025

The incident occurred Saturday evening when a Haiti National Police task force launched two kamikaze drones during a gathering of gang members to celebrate the birthday of local gang leader, Albert Steevenson, alias Djouma, in Simon Pelé, west of the Airport Road. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Japanese, literally, divine wind

First Known Use

Noun

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1944, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for kamikaze

• ashkenazi
• paparazzi
• causey
• gauzy
• ghazi
• swazi