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.

Jolie, who sold her shares to Stoli’s wine division, Tenute del Mondo, said they had no such agreement in place.

From Los Angeles Times

BBC News compiled more than 30 year-end lists published by the world's most influential music magazines and critics - including the NME, Rolling Stone, Spain's Mondo Sonoro and France's Les Inrockuptibles.

From BBC

Duplantis, widely known by his nickname 'Mondo', made clear his intentions upon reaching the final.

From BBC

In February 2020, a 20-year-old Armand Duplantis - ‘Mondo’ as he’s more commonly known - broke Lavillenie’s record by one centimetre.

From BBC

“One of the things that makes Mondo so good is that he’s a coach of himself,” he says.

From BBC

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