Synonyms

mondo

¹ American

[mon-doh] / mɒnˈdoʊ /

noun

Zen.

plural

mondos

a question to a student for which an immediate answer is demanded, the spontaneity of which is often illuminating.

mondo ² American

adverb

very; extremely.

mondo cool.

adjective

large; big.

a mondo history paper.

Etymology

Origin of mondo¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from Japanese mondō, earlier mondau “rapid question and answer, catechesis between a rōshi (master) and student,” from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese wèn “inquire” + dá “reply”

Origin of mondo²

First recorded in 1965–70; from Italian mondo “world,” extracted from the film Mondo Cane ( “A Dog's World” ) (1962) and reinterpreted as an adverb in Italian or pseudo-Italian phrases such as mondo bizarro “very bizarre,” literally, “bizarre world”

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.

Here, they planted a drought-resistant mix of California dune grass, mondo grass and poppies alongside the former owners’ birds of paradise, pink camellias and pineapple guava tree.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 2, 2024

"But these dwarf galaxies have just these really mondo star-forming regions," said U-M astronomer Sally Oey, senior author of the study.

From Science Daily • Nov. 21, 2023

Another option that might work more quickly is to plant grasses — not turfgrass, but creeping ones such as mondo grass.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 7, 2022

This is going to mean, scientifically speaking, a mondo load of cases, including potentially enough serious ones to fill hospital ICUs.

From Slate • Dec. 21, 2021

Figlio bianco e biondo, Figlio, volto jocondo, Figlio, perchè t'à el mondo, Figlio, cusì sprezato!

From Renaissance in Italy: Italian Literature Part 1 (of 2) by Symonds, John Addington

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