jujitsu

or jiu·jit·su

[ joo-jit-soo ]

/ dʒuˈdʒɪt su /

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See synonyms for jujitsu on Thesaurus.com

noun

a method developed in Japan of defending oneself without the use of weapons by using the strength and weight of an adversary to disable him.

the use of an opponent's strengths or one's own weaknesses to accomplish one's goals: That was a kind of intellectual jujitsu, the way she handily won the debate.The town of Vacaville, in a prime example of touristic jujitsu, turned its isolation into an attraction in itself.

verb (used with object)

to turn (a situation) to one's advantage by exploiting one's own weaknesses or another's strengths, as in a social or political relationship: He deftly jujitsued the conversation to make my knowledge of the subject seem pretentious.

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Also ju·jut·su, jiu·jut·su

[joo-juht-soo, -joo-] /dʒuˈdʒʌt su, -ˈdʒʊ-/ .

Compare judo, karate.

Origin of jujitsu

First recorded in 1870–75; from Japanese jūjitsu, earlier jūjutsu, equivalent to jū “soft” (see judo) + -jut(u) “technique,” from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese shù

Words nearby jujitsu

juice man, juicer, juice up, juicy, Juiz de Fora, jujitsu, juju, jujube, Jujuy, juke, jukebox

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jujitsu in a sentence

He then followed up that intervention with an even more jaw-dropping act of forensic jujitsu, getting one of his would be killers to confess to the crime.
Alexey Navalny Is Succeeding Where Putin's Other Opponents Have Failed. Why?|Michael Weiss|January 27, 2021|Time
Last night, Lieberman began playing jujitsu with the charges in prime time.
Avigdor Lieberman's Lucky Break?|Bernard Avishai|December 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And in these bad economic times, the Democrats are using it to achieve a kind of political jujitsu.
Peter Beinart: The Democratic Convention’s Message Discipline|Peter Beinart|September 5, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Moussa, a career diplomat and far more practiced public speaker, proved himself a master of verbal jujitsu.
Moussa, Aboul Fotouh Spar in Egypt’s Epic First Presidential Debate|Ashraf Khalil|May 11, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Asra Nomani on how the Muslim community rose to her defense in a game of 'shame jujitsu.'
Mauled by Her Husband?|Asra Q. Nomani|July 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Nancy Snow, a professor of cross-cultural communications at California State University, Fullerton, calls it “shame jujitsu.”
Mauled by Her Husband?|Asra Q. Nomani|July 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The boys are also taught asanas (postures), sword and lathi (stick) play, and jujitsu.
Autobiography of a YOGI|Paramhansa Yogananda
He grabbed the extended right arm to give it a jujitsu move up and to the back of the body.
David Lannarck, Midget|George S. Harney
He reached forward in a jujitsu maneuver, grabbed a coat sleeve and a handful of suit coat.
Black Man's Burden|Dallas McCord Reynolds

British Dictionary definitions for jujitsu

jujitsu

jujutsu or jiujutsu

/ (dʒuːˈdʒɪtsuː) /

noun

the traditional Japanese system of unarmed self-defence perfected by the samuraiSee also judo

Word Origin for jujitsu

C19: from Japanese, from jū gentleness + jutsu art

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

jujitsu

or jiu·jit·su

Origin of jujitsu

Words nearby jujitsu

Words related to jujitsu

How to use jujitsu in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jujitsu

jujutsu or jiujutsu

Word Origin for jujitsu