ramen

American  

[rah-muhn] / ˈrɑ mən /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

1. (used with a singular verb) a bowl of clear soup containing noodles, vegetables, and often bits of meat.

2. (usually used with a plural verb) the Asian wheat noodles used in this soup.

   I prefer the wavy ramen to the straight ones.

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ramen British  

/ ˈrɑːmən /

noun

1. a Japanese dish consisting of a clear broth containing thin white noodles and sometimes vegetables, meat, etc

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plural noun

1. thin white noodles served in such a broth

Etymology

Origin of ramen

First recorded in 1960–65; from Japanese rāmen, from Chinese lāmiàn literally, “pull noodle”

Explanation

Ramen is a delicious Japanese noodle dish that's most often served in a hot broth. Whether you use chop sticks or a spoon, there's a lot of slurping involved in eating ramen. While ramen was invented in Japan, it was heavily influenced by southern Chinese noodle dishes. The name itself is a Japanese translation of the Mandarin Chinese lāmiàn, or "pulled noodles." You can use ramen for the noodle soup, topped with tofu, nori, scallions, sliced pork, or egg — and you can also refer to the wheat noodles themselves as ramen.

Example Sentences

Only Samantha Hale, raised in Los Angeles on “Top Ramen and fear,” could make hair-raising terror this funny.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2025

However, the QD Ramen was only handed out to employees and not sold in stores.

From Barron's • Nov. 27, 2025

Ms. Lieu’s Instant Ramen Cookies are a case in point.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

"Ramen is a symbol of comfort and warmth in South Korea," Kim explains.

From BBC • Aug. 8, 2025

And there were packages of Top Ramen, tins of sardines, crackers, protein bars, oranges, and chocolate.

From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray