sayonara

American  

[sahy-uh-nahr-uh, sah-yaw-nah-rah] / ˌsaɪ əˈnɑr ə, ˈsɑ yɔˈnɑ rɑ /

interjection

1. farewell; goodbye.

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Etymology

Origin of sayonara

First recorded in 1860–65; from Japanese sayō-nara, shortening of sayō-naraba, equivalent to sayō “thus” + naraba “if it be”

Explanation

The word sayonara means "goodbye" or "farewell." When you are seeing your friend off at the airport, you can wave and say, "Sayonara!" Sayonara is a casual way to say goodbye, similar to phrases like "so long" or "see ya!" You might say sayonara to your traveling grandmother, or say sayonara to a terrible job at the end of a long summer. It's a Japanese word that has been a popular informal word in English since the late 1800s. It literally means "if it is to be that way," combining sayo, "that way," and nara, "if."

Example Sentences

“So sayonara, sucka! 2022, it’s a new year. ‘Cause guess what?

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 4, 2022

And everything about Thursday’s stop at Capital One Arena sure looked and sounded like sayonara.

From Washington Post • Nov. 19, 2021

And if that’s a problem for you, then, yes, goodbye, sayonara, auf Wiedersehen, adios and adieu.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2021

“Do you know what sayonara means,” Popovich said, smiling.

From New York Times • Aug. 7, 2021

Just sayonara: but it seemed The soul of all farewells that night, The sigh of all withdrawn delight, The sound of love's last rapture-rite.

From Sea Poems by Rice, Cale Young