harikari
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Definition
Noun: * Ritual suicide by self-disembowelment: The act of killing oneself by cutting open the abdomen with a sword, specifically as a formal, honorable practice among the samurai class in feudal Japan. It was performed to avoid capture, atone for failure, or protest a lord's decision.
Usage Notes
- The word harikari is a transliteration of the Japanese term 腹切り (), which literally means "belly-cutting." It is considered a more vulgar or blunt term in Japanese. The more formal and respectful term is .
- In English, harikari is used to refer specifically to this historical Japanese ritual. It is not used for suicide in a general, modern context.
- It is often used metaphorically in business or politics to describe a disastrous decision or action that causes severe harm to oneself or one's own interests.
Examples
- The defeated samurai chose to commit harikari rather than be taken prisoner by the enemy.
- In the film, the lord ordered his retainer to perform harikari for his disobedience.
- : The CEO said the new policy would be harikari for the company's public image.
Advanced Usage
- To commit harikari: This is the standard verb collocation used with the noun.
- The general was forced to commit harikari after losing the battle.
Variants and Related Words
- Seppuku (n.): The formal Japanese term for the same ritual suicide. It is written with different characters (切腹) that mean "cutting abdomen" but is the more polite and official word.
- Ritual suicide (n.): A general term for any suicide performed as part of a religious or cultural ceremony.
Synonyms
- Self-disembowelment
- Ritual suicide (in the specific Japanese context)
Idioms and Metaphorical Use
- Professional/Political harikari: Used to describe an action in one's career or public life that is ruinous.
- Voting against the popular bill would be political harikari for the senator.
- To commit economic harikari: Describes a policy or financial decision that is severely self-destructive.
- Experts warned that leaving the trade agreement would be to commit economic harikari.
Noun
- ritual suicide by self-disembowelment on a sword; practiced by samurai in the traditional Japanese society