Maasai

noun

Maa·​sai mä-ˈsī 

ˈmä-ˌsī

variants or Masai

plural Maasai or Maasais or Masai or Masais

1

: a member of a pastoral and hunting people of Kenya and Tanzania

2

: the Nilotic language of the Maasai people

Examples of Maasai in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mara Toto has access to both Maasai Mara National Reserve and Mara North Conservancy, the latter a part of the same ecosystem, but with a fraction of the crowds. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 16 Apr. 2025

While the Maasai Mara is often the first name that comes to mind when thinking of a Kenyan safari, Laikipia offers a different and arguably more exclusive experience with not only the Big Five but also rare fauna like the black (melanistic) leopard. —Nicole Trilivas, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025

Key Moment: Kid-friendly interactions with the Maasai people in Tanzania. —Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 12 Feb. 2025

Today, most Maasai in Tanzania live in a district called Ngorongoro. —Kizito Makoye, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Maasai il-máásáì, a self-designation

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for Maasai

• apply
• awry
• belie
• bely
• bigeye
• bonsai
• buckeye
• comply
• coxae
• decry
• defy
• deny