Kaiju
/ˈkaɪ.dʒuː/noun
A giant monster, especially one featured in Japanese science-fiction films, television, or comics.
Did you know?Although kaijū became globally famous through Godzilla, the Japanese word originally described uncanny or monstrous creatures more broadly, not only skyscraper-sized movie monsters.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Chinese
Chinese
怪獸 (guàishòu)
“Strange or monstrous beast; the Chinese source corresponding to the Japanese compound.”
Early Japanese
Japanese
怪獣 (kaijū)
“A strange beast or monster; 怪 means strange or uncanny, while 獣 means beast or animal.”
18th–19th Century
Japanese
怪獣 (kaijū)
“A monstrous or unusual animal, used in literary and descriptive contexts.”
1950s
Japanese
怪獣 (kaijū)
“A giant monster, especially in postwar science-fiction cinema.”
1954
Japanese
ゴジラ / 怪獣
“Godzilla popularized the modern cinematic sense of kaijū as a colossal destructive monster.”
Modern English
English
kaiju
“A giant monster of Japanese popular culture, or the genre featuring such creatures.”