açaí

American

[ah-sah-ee, ah-sahy-ee] / ˌɑ sɑˈi, ˌɑ saɪˈi /

Or acai

noun

the deep purple, edible berry of a Central and South American palm tree, Euterpe oleracea.

açaí British

/ asai /

noun

Also called: palm berry. a berry that grows on palm trees in the Brazilian rainforests. Because it is rich in nutrients, it is used to make energy drinks

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of açaí

First recorded in 1850–60; from Portuguese açaí, earlier açay, assaí, uaçay, from either Tupi ïwasaí (unrecorded) or a similar source in the Tupi-Guarani family

Vocabulary lists containing acai

Scrabble: Four-Letter Words with 3 Vowels

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

açaí

Foods including avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia, and pumpkin seeds were incorporated as locally accessible options.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Like açaí berries - these strange fruits are rich in antioxidants, fibre or fatty acids.

From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2025

They have delicious smoothies, fresh açaí bowls and classic Brazilian breakfast favorites.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2025

Its branches bear clusters of between 500 to 900 fruits, hanging up to 80 feet from the ground—making it risky for açaí pickers to climb the tree and access the fruit.

From National Geographic ● Dec. 14, 2023

The term “spa food” conjures healthful things: smoothies, grain bowls, earnestly invented compilations involving açaí, whatever that is, and frilly green things, likely uncooked and pounded into submission by someone in yoga pants.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 8, 2019

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023