bonito

American  

[buh-nee-toh] / bəˈni toʊ /

noun

bonito, plural bonitos plural

1. any mackerel-like fish of the genus Sarda, as S. sarda, of the Atlantic Ocean.

2. any of several related species, as the skipjack, Euthynnus pelamis.

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bonito British  

/ bəˈniːtəʊ /

noun

1. any of various small tunny-like marine food fishes of the genus Sarda , of warm Atlantic and Pacific waters: family Scombridae (tunnies and mackerels)

2. any of various similar or related fishes, such as Katsuwonus pelamis ( oceanic bonito ), the flesh of which is dried and flaked and used in Japanese cookery

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• bonito
  plural
• bonitos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of bonito

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Spanish: literally, “pretty,” equivalent to bueno “good” + -ito diminutive suffix, or from Arabic bainīth

Compare meaning

How does bonito compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• bonito vs. Bonita

Explanation

A bonito is a medium-sized fish that's a close relation of the tuna. When smoked and fermented, bonito is used to flavor many Japanese soups. Bonitos are in the same family as tuna and mackerel, and they're sometimes used as a less expensive substitute for skipjack tuna. In Japanese cuisine, the fish is commonly used in the form of "bonito flakes," or katsuobushi. These intensely flavorful dried flakes are added to dashi broth, which is the base of most miso soup. Bonito is a Spanish word that means "the good one."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bonito bonitos

Against the country that had innovated the jogo bonito, Haaland’s performance was a masterpiece of straightforward brutality.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026

The "Manana sera bonito" singer is the first Latina artist to headline the festival, which draws massive crowds over two consecutive weekends in Indio, California.

From Barron's ● Apr. 12, 2026

In most instances, kombu is used to flavor a broth or stock, or in certain cases, cooked with bonito flakes to make dashi, the fundamental, classic Japanese broth that is the base of countless recipes.

From Salon ● May 14, 2024

Unlike pasta or curry, ramen is difficult to replicate at home, he said, Making it from scratch involves hours of cooking stock, with pork, beef or chicken, various fish or bonito flakes, and “kombu” kelp.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 24, 2024

Today I’ll work out where the schools of bonito and albacore are and maybe there will be a big one with them.

From "The Old Man and The Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

Here the larger pelagic fish, the barracuda, bonitos and sharks, patrol.

From New York Times ● Sep. 7, 2012

Fisherman's contention: though Truman was photographed, while President, in various Izaak Walton poses with grouper, bonitos, barracuda and king salmon, "there is no concrete evidence that he actually caught any of them."

From Time Magazine Archive

I suppose he had appeased his appetite on the heads and other remains of the bonitos we had thrown overboard.

From The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg and Other Stories by Twain, Mark

We also passed through enormous quantities of flying-fish, no doubt driven to the surface by dolphins and bonitos.

From A Voyage in the 'Sunbeam' Our Home on the Ocean for Eleven Months by Brassey, Annie

“Could your eyes pierce through the surface, you would see some savage bonitos or dolphins pursuing the hapless fish who visit the air, not for amusement, but in the hopes of escaping from their persecutors.”

From The Voyages of the Ranger and Crusader And what befell their Passengers and Crews. by Kingston, William Henry Giles