SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

hari-kari

noun

Less common spelling 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 1b

Learn More about hari-kari

See words that rhyme with hari-kari

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up hari-kari? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

play

a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Words at Play

8 Words and Phrases from Boxing and Wrestling

Terms that go beyond the squared circle

alt-59c2960017c94

The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

alt-59c17b8172892

'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

young-plant-shoots

Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

stylized-drawing-of-woman-pole-vaulting-across-gap-to-get-trophy

Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

Take the quiz

Name That Thing

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz

Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game