ninja

== English == === Etymology === A romanized borrowing of Japanese 忍者 (ninja), popularized within Japanese by manga after World War II and in English by Eric Van Lustbader's 1980 novel The Ninja and the 1981 movie Enter the Ninja, of uncertain derivation but with an underlying sense of secret or hidden person. The “Mongolian miner” sense arose from the supposed resemblance of the bowls used to wash ore with mercury to the shells of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Juggalo slang sense arose via influence from AAVE nigga. === Pronunciation === (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈnɪnd͡ʒə/ Rhymes: -ɪndʒə === Noun === ninja (plural ninja or ninjas) (martial arts) A person trained in ninjutsu, especially (historical) one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period. (figurative) A person considered similarly skillful to the historical ninja, especially in covert or stealthy operation. 1972 September 11, Newsweek, Int'l ed., p. 28: (video games, fandom slang, in the plural) A notional draconian arm of a corporation (originally Nintendo), tasked with dealing with individuals that infringe on its rights or do not comply with its regulations. (figurative) A person considered to look like the historical ninja in some way, including (historical slang) an amateur private miner in Mongolia. (euphemistic, African-American Vernacular) Synonym of nigga as a friendly term of address. (Juggalo slang) Synonym of man as a friendly term of address. (euphemistic, vulgar, derogatory, offensive, ethnic slur) nigger. ==== Synonyms ==== (person trained in ninjutsu): shinobi, assassin, spy (figurative covert agent): killer, spy, superspy, magician, secret agent ==== Hyponyms ==== (person trained in ninjutsu): kunoichi ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Related terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Adjective === ninja (not comparable) Of or related to ninjas in their various senses. === Verb === ninja (third-person singular simple present ninjas, present participle ninjaing, simple past and past participle ninjaed or ninja'd) (ambitransitive) To act or move like a ninja, particularly with regard to a combination of speed, power, and stealth. (Internet slang) to beat someone to a post; to make the same reply just before the other party finishes typing, making their response redundant. (online gaming slang) To claim an item through abuse of game mechanics. === References === “ninja, n. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. “ninja, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. === Anagrams === Jin'an, Jinan == Danish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Japanese 忍者. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈnindja/ === Noun === ninja c (singular definite ninjaen, plural indefinite ninjaer) ninja ==== Declension ==== === References === “ninja” in Den Danske Ordbog == Finnish == === Etymology === From Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈninjɑ/, [ˈninjɑ̝] Rhymes: -injɑ Syllabification(key): nin‧ja Hyphenation(key): nin‧ja === Noun === ninja ninja ==== Declension ==== === Further reading === “ninja”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎[5] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023 == Indonesian == === Etymology === Borrowed from Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Pronunciation === (Standard Indonesian) IPA(key): /ˈnind͡ʒa/ [ˈniɲ.d͡ʒa] Rhymes: -ind͡ʒa Syllabification: nin‧ja === Noun === ninja (plural ninja-ninja) (historical) ninja, a person trained in ninjutsu, especially one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period unidentified assassin with black clothes and mask === Further reading === “ninja”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016 == Italian == === Etymology === From Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈnin.d͡ʒa/ Rhymes: -indʒa Hyphenation: nìn‧ja === Noun === ninja m (invariable) (historical) ninja == Japanese == === Romanization === ninja Rōmaji transcription of にんじゃ ==== Coordinate terms ==== ninpō onmitsu Oniwaban == Polish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English ninja. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɲin.d͡ʑa/, /ˈɲin.d͡ʐa/ Rhymes: -ind͡ʑa, -ind͡ʐa Syllabification: nin‧ja === Noun === ninja m pers (indeclinable) (espionage, historical, martial arts) ninja (person trained in ninjutsu, especially one used for espionage, assassination, and other tasks requiring stealth during Japan's shogunate period) Coordinate term: ninjutsu ==== Declension ==== or Indeclinable. === References === === Further reading === ninja in Polish dictionaries at PWN ninja in PWN's encyclopedia == Portuguese == === Etymology === Borrowed from Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ĩʒɐ Hyphenation: nin‧ja === Noun === ninja m or f by sense (plural ninjas) (historical, martial arts) ninja (Japanese fighter trained in the art of ninjutsu for activities such as espionage, sabotage or assassination) (figurative) ninja (a person considered similarly skillful to the historical ninja) === Further reading === “ninja”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “ninja”, in Dicionário infopédia da Lingua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2026 “ninja”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Spanish == === Alternative forms === ninya === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -inʝa Syllabification: nin‧ja === Noun === ninja m or f by sense (plural ninjas) (martial arts, historical) ninja (person trained in stealth, espionage, assassination and ninjutsu) === Further reading === “ninja”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Swedish == === Etymology === Borrowed from Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Noun === ninja c a ninja ==== Declension ==== ==== See also ==== katana ninjutsu === References === ninja in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL) == Turkish == === Etymology === From French ninja, from Japanese 忍者 (ninja). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /nin.ʒa/ === Noun === ninja (definite accusative ninjayı, plural ninjalar) ninja ==== Declension ====