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
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.
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
David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Hernández and Day played kamikaze dolphins who work for the government, giving them a sense of porpoise (their joke, not mine).
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
According to National Geographic, roughly 3,000 Japanese soldiers died in kamikaze missions, while more than 7,000 American, Australian and British personnel were killed or wounded during the fight for Iwo Jima.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
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Noun
The purpose of the later types is to deliver suppressive fire on Russian warships, preventing the crews from stopping the kamikaze boats.
—David Hambling, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026
Hernández and Day played kamikaze dolphins who work for the government, giving them a sense of porpoise (their joke, not mine).
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Adjective
Hernández and Day played kamikaze dolphins who work for the government, giving them a sense of porpoise (their joke, not mine).
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
According to National Geographic, roughly 3,000 Japanese soldiers died in kamikaze missions, while more than 7,000 American, Australian and British personnel were killed or wounded during the fight for Iwo Jima.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for kamikaze
Cite this Entry
“Kamikaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kamikaze. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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