Godzilla
AmericanEtymology
Origin of Godzilla
1950–55; an Anglicized version of the Japanese name Gojira < Japanese gorira gorilla + kujira whale
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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.
Not every sketch worked, like an early Godzilla parody set in a command center that was simply a series of increasingly anticipated spit takes on poor Mikey Day.
From Los Angeles Times • May 10, 2026
One observer compares it to King Kong taking on Godzilla.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
Godzilla is a creature of thoughtless collateral damage.
From Salon • Mar. 20, 2026
But the big news is what’s old: the continuing availability of Ford’s high-output 7.3-liter V8, a naturally aspirated, pushrod actuated, gas-guzzling anachronism nicknamed Godzilla.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026
“No. He’s the monster. If there’s going to be a happy ending, it means he has to be defeated. You can’t end Godzilla without killing Godzilla. And you can’t end The Tempest without Caliban getting...”
From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
