a district along the west coast of the Island of Hawaii in southeastern Hawaii, divided administratively into North Kona and South Kona districts.
Official Name Kailua-Kona. a town in North Kona district, and the largest town in the district of Kona: the first capital, 1795–1820, of the unified Kingdom of Hawaii.
Borrowed into English from Hawaiian around 1860–65
From Hawaiian kona “leeward or dry side” (of the island)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the entire state through Thursday as a kona low, or subtropical cyclone, west of the island chain generated moist and humid conditions.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 29, 2023
Previous studies indicate kona lows may happen less frequently as a result of climate change.
From Scientific American ● Dec. 7, 2021
Hai aku la o Mokukelekahiki ia Kaeloikamalama i kona ike ana i ka moo.
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Beckwith, Martha Warren
No ke aloha wale no o ka Makaula ke kumu o kona hele ana aku e hai i kana mea i ike ai.
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Beckwith, Martha Warren
Ma kona ano Makaula, ua hiki ia ia ke hele aku e kukala ma Kauai a puni, me ka hai aku i kana mea i ike a no na mea e hiki mai ana mahope.
From The Hawaiian Romance Of Laieikawai by Beckwith, Martha Warren
I note, “Kids listen when they are given trust and agency,” before taking off for Kona.
From Slate ● May 10, 2026
The island is the grip of a "Kona Low", a slow-moving area of low pressure that pulls in warm, moisture-rich air across the Hawaiian islands, bringing heavy rain and flash flooding.
From BBC ● Mar. 21, 2026
Kona Hills aimed to plant about 1,000 acres, appraisal documents show.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 2, 2026
Several years ago, when my parents were updating their will and living trust, my sister expressed interest in eventually buying their home in Kona, Hawaii.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 19, 2026
Matilda, Kona, and Sombo came to the verandah holding buckets in their hands.
From "A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier" by Ishmael Beah
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.
