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
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mega-tso͞o-nä'mi
/ˌmɛɡətsuːˈnɑːmi/
mega-so͞o-nä'mi
/ˌmɛɡəsuːˈnɑːmi/
1
noun
Meaning 1
An extremely large tsunami-like wave caused by an avalanche or landslide displacing large amounts of water very quickly.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, natural-sciences, oceanography
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A very large tsunami.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *méǵh2s Proto-Hellenic *mégas Ancient Greek μέγᾰς (mégăs)der. English mega- English tsunami English megatsunami From mega- + tsunami.
Across languages
Translations
17 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
мегацуна́ми
(megacunámi)
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Catalan:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Chinese Cantonese:
大海嘯 /大海啸
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Chinese Mandarin:
大海嘯 /大海啸
(dàhǎixiào)
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Finnish:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
French:
mégatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Georgian:
მეგაცუნამი
(megacunami)
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
German:
Megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Hungarian:
megacunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Italian:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Japanese:
大津波
(ōtsunami)
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Polish:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Portuguese:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Russian:
мегацуна́ми
(megacunámi)
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Serbo-Croatian:
мегацунами
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Serbo-Croatian:
megacunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
Spanish:
megatsunami
— extremely large wave caused by an avalanche or landslide
