tsunami

noun

tsu·​na·​mi (t)su̇-ˈnä-mē 

plural tsunamis also tsunami

: a great sea wave produced especially by submarine earth movement or volcanic eruption : tidal wave

tsunamic

(t)su̇-ˈnä-mik 

adjective

Examples of tsunami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Satellite map of the tsunami's leading edge (red), with the epicenter depicted by a red star. —Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Aug. 2025

See photos of Krasheninnikov Volcano eruption Krasheninnikov Volcano location: See map Volcano eruptions triggered by earthquake The July 29 earthquake triggered tsunami alerts across the Pacific as far away as the U.S. West Coast. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2025

As powerful waves surged across the vast Pacific on Wednesday, people around the world remained glued to their phones, tracking the tsunami’s fast progress. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2025

As of Thursday, though, the tsunami fears had started to fade. —Lincoln Anderson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Japanese, from tsu harbor + nami wave

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tsunami

• salami
• tatami
• thalami
• balmy
• brahmi
• commie
• mommy
• palmy
• rami
• saami
• swami
• swamy

Kids Definition

tsunami

noun

tsu·​na·​mi (t)su̇-ˈnäm-ē 

: a great sea wave produced especially by an earthquake or volcanic eruption under the sea : tidal wave

Etymology

Japanese, from tsu "harbor" + nami "wave"