name · noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Received-Pronunciation:/ɡɒdˈzɪlə/
Atlantic-Canada, General-American:/ɡɑdˈzɪlə/
WisconsinRecorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australian:/ɡɔdˈzɪlə/
rhymes with -ɪlə
CMU ARPABET:G AA2 D Z IH1 L AH0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
A fictional Japanese monster (kaiju) from a series of science-fiction films.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
Anything that is an extremely large or dramatic example of its type.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Examples
a Godzilla of a tower building
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Japanese ゴジラ (Gojira), blend created for the movie from the words ゴリラ (gorira, “gorilla”) and 鯨 (kujira, “whale”).
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
غُودْزِيلَا
(ḡūdzīlā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Arabic:
غُدْزِيلَا
(ḡudzīlā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Armenian:
Գոձիլա
(Gojila)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Azerbaijani:
Qodzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Bulgarian:
Годзила
(Godzila)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Chinese Cantonese:
哥斯拉
(go1 si1 laai1)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Chinese Mandarin:
哥斯拉
(Gēsīlā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Esperanto:
Godzilo
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Finnish:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
French:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
German:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Greek:
Γκοντζίλα
(Gkontzíla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Greek:
Γκοτζίλα
(Gkotzíla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Hebrew:
גוֹדְזִילָה
(Godzíla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Hindi:
गोडज़िला
(goḍzilā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Hindi:
गोडजिला
(goḍjilā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Hindi:
गोगोला
(gogolā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Italian:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Japanese:
ゴジラ
(Gojira)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Kannada:
ಗಾಡ್ಜಿಲ್ಲಾ
(Gāḍjillā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Korean:
고지라
(Gojira)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Korean:
고질라
(Gojilla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Malayalam:
ഗോഡ്സില്ല
(gōḍsilla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Marathi:
गॉडझिला
(gŏḍjhilā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Persian:
گودزیلا
(godzilâ)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Polish:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Portuguese:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Romanian:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Russian:
Годзи́лла
(Godzílla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Tamil:
காட்சில்லா
(kāṭcillā)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Thai:
ก็อตซิลลา
(gɔ̀t-sil-laa)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Thai:
ก็อตซิลล่า
(gɔ̀t-sil-lâa)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Ukrainian:
Ґодзі́лла
(Godzílla)
— Japanese science-fiction monster
Vietnamese:
Godzilla
— Japanese science-fiction monster
