rikishi
Britishnoun
Etymology
Origin of rikishi
Japanese, literally: strong man
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.
At 5-foot-11 and 310 pounds, Aonishiki isn’t the biggest fighter, or rikishi, to step onto the dohyo, nor is he the most classically trained.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026
All 40 rikishi participated in the closing ceremony on Sunday, with the tournament's final remarks left to Japanese yokozuna Onasato Daiki.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2025
Officials say designer Santiago Varela had planned on removing the sumo wrestler even before riders said the life-sized rikishi might be rankling their animals.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2021
In 2017, he became the heaviest professional rikishi ever at 288kg, beating the record previously held by the Hawaii-born Konishiki, who tipped the scales at 285kg.
From The Guardian ● Jun. 26, 2020
“Wrestlers who come from abroad really work hard,” she said, sitting in her kimono as two rikishi geared up for a bout in the ring behind her.
From New York Times ● Jan. 26, 2013
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.
