World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesharakiri
Pronunciation / Transliteration: ha-ra-ki-ri
"Il politico ha fatto harakiri dimettendosi prima dello scandalo."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Traditional Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, practiced by samurai to preserve honor.
"The disgraced lord chose to perform hara-kiri rather than face capture by his enemies." - 2
A disastrous or self-destructive course of action taken by an individual, organization, or government.
"Cutting the advertising budget during a recession was corporate hara-kiri."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Borrowed into English in the late 18th century from Japanese hara-kiri, literally meaning belly-cutting (from hara 'belly' + kiri 'cutting'). It historically refers to the traditional Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment, often associated with the samurai class, though the more formal Japanese term seppuku is preferred in native contexts.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Hara-kiri" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
hara-kiri
Transliteration: ah-ra-ki-ri
"Il a commis le hara-kiri pour sauver son honneur."
Harakiri
Transliteration: ha-ra-ki-ri
"Der Manager beging wirtschaftliches Harakiri mit dieser Investition."
harakiri
Transliteration: ha-ra-ki-ri
"Il politico ha fatto harakiri dimettendosi prima dello scandalo."
harakiri
Transliteration: ha-ra-ki-ri
"El samurái practicó el harakiri tras la derrota en la batalla."
haraquiri
Transliteration: ha-ra-ki-ri
"A decisão da empresa foi um verdadeiro haraquiri financeiro."
हारा-किरी
Transliteration: hara-kiri
"सैनिक ने हार के बाद हारा-किरी करना चुना।"
切腹
Transliteration: qièfù
"武士以切腹的方式来维护自己的荣誉。"
할복
Transliteration: halbok
"그 무사는 명예를 지키기 위해 할복을 했다."
切腹
Transliteration: seppuku
"武士は名誉を守るために切腹をした。"
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