Kamikaze
Fleet-destroying storm
Kamikaze comes from Japanese words meaning "divine wind." It originally described typhoons that destroyed Mongol invasion fleets in the 13th century.
In World War II, kamikaze named Japanese pilots who deliberately crashed explosive-laden aircraft into enemy targets—suicide missions.
The word now describes any recklessly self-destructive action: a kamikaze business strategy, He made a kamikaze run through traffic.
Lethal violence ensuring own death
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
- World War IISecond global military conflict
- JapanEast Asian archipelago nation
- Pearl HarborHawaiian military port attacked 1941
aircraft · mission · sacrifice · emperor · bushido · honor · torpedo · warship
suicide attack
Lethal violence ensuring own death
- pilotOne who steers aircraft
- World War IISecond global military conflict
- JapanEast Asian archipelago nation
Pearl Harbor · aircraft · mission · sacrifice · emperor · bushido · honor · torpedo · warship · Okinawa
vodka
Clear distilled spirit
- triple secOrange-flavored distilled spirit
- lime juicePressed green citrus
- shotQuick liquor serving
shooter · bartender · chilled · citrus · pour · glass · nightclub · alcohol · mix · sweet
suicidal
Inclined toward self-destruction
dangerous · foolhardy · aggressive · wild · risk · death wish · abandon · heedless · bold · impulsive
- shotsgunshot, B-52, Jagerbomb, lemon drop, buttery nipple
- Axis MilitaryWehrmacht, Luftwaffe, Afrika Korps, Waffen-SS, panzer
- 80s drinkswine cooler, fuzzy navel, peach schnapps, melon ball, B-52
- Thai ArtistsLisa, Bright, Gulf, Minnie
- warriorsfighter, knight, footsoldier, barbarian, samurai
- Asian Maritimejunks, junk, sampan, dragon boats, dragon boat
Kamikazeself-preservation
Instinct to survive danger
survival instinct · self-protection · cowardice · desertion · surrender
Kamikazecaution
Careful attention to risk
prudence · circumspection · calculated risk · restraint · timidity
Kamikazeself-interest
Concern for personal advantage
pragmatism · mercenary · opportunist · turncoat · collaborator
- kamikaze attacksIntentional self-destructive military assault
- kamikaze pilotsSelf-sacrificing wartime aviators
- kamikaze dronesSelf-destructing unmanned aerial weapons