Showing definitions for otaku

SEE ALSO

Slang dictionary results for otaku

otaku

American  

[oh-tah-koo] / ˌoʊˈtɑ ku /

noun

Japanese.

otakus plural

1. a person with an intense enthusiasm for some subject such as computers, video games, or anime and manga, especially one who finds social interaction difficult (often used attributively).

   She's quite the military otaku and knows a lot about war history.

   The documentary delves into otaku culture.

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Etymology

Origin of otaku

First recorded in 1990–95; from Japanese: “enthusiast, geek, nerd, obsessive fan,” special use of the 2nd person pronoun, literally, “your home,” from o-, 2nd person honorific prefix ( cf. omakase ( def. )) + taku “home” (from Middle Chinese; compare Mandarin zhái, Cantonese zaak )

Explanation

If you've got an eccentric friend who enjoys some unusual hobbies, you may already know an otaku, a person who is obsessed with a very specific subject or with pop culture. Otaku, mainly used in Japanese, has an unusual origin: It comes from the historically very formal Japanese words meaning "your house." Young people with specialized interests in things like anime, video games, and manga would use this pronoun as a very polite way of addressing and recognizing each other. Outsiders noticed, and the media remarked on it, so it became a general term for these young people.

Example Sentences

Otaku is a Japanese word for a nerd or a geek, usually someone that's obsessed with video games and anime.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2019

“There are tempered expectations,” says Joseph Luster, digital editor for Otaku USA magazine.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2017