# banzai

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈbɑːnˈzaɪ/ · frequency rank #63,438

## Definitions
1. Thrill-seeking; wild.

## Etymology
From Japanese 万歳(ばんざい) (banzai, “long live..., huzzah, hurrah”), from Middle Chinese 萬歲 (mjonᴴ sjwejᴴ), from Old Chinese 萬歲 (*mans s-qʷʰats, “10,000 years [of life]”, i.e. “immortality”), from 萬 /万 (wàn, “10,000”) 歲 /岁 (suì, “year (of age)”).
Compare Mandarin 萬歲／万岁 (wànsùi).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/banzai