\ ˌher-i-ˈkir-ē
, ˌha-ri-, -ˈker-ē, -ˈka-rē \
, ˌha-ri-, -ˈker-ē, -ˈka-rē \
variants:
or less commonly hari-kari
Definition of hara-kiri
1
: ritual suicide by disembowelment practiced by the Japanese samurai or formerly decreed by a court in lieu of the death penalty
2
: suicide sense 1b
Learn More About hara-kiri
Statistics for hara-kiri
Look-up Popularity
Cite this Entry
“Hara-kiri.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hara-kiri. Accessed 28 May. 2022.
Style: MLA
MLA
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Chicago
APA
Merriam-Webster
Test Your Vocabulary
Eponyms: Words Named After People
-
- What is the best definition of boycott?
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZ
A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Words at Play
-
You're (Probably) Saying It Wrong
18 words even you might be mispronouncing
-
Great Big List of Beautiful & Useless Words
Along with their degrees of usefulness
-
12 French Phrases from Downton Abbey
Many of us have an 'idée fixe'
-
Rare and Amusing Insults, Volume 2
Sometimes a 'cacafuego' can be a real 'slubberdeg...
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
What’s on the Menu?
Sink your teeth into these questions about food.
Take the quiz
-
The Great British Vocabulary Quiz
Make sure you know the difference between a loo a...
Take the quiz
-
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz
"Most Likely to Use Obscure Words"
Take the quiz
-
Lexigo
Find the hidden words by solving the clues
Take the quiz
Share hara-kiri
Time Traveler for hara-kiri
The first known use of hara-kiri was in 1840
See more words from the same year