Yokozuna
n.capable, resilientformal
What it means
A sumo wrestler who holds the sport's highest rank.
Reach for it when naming the formal rank accurately rather than using it as loose praise
The new yokozuna accepted the title with quiet dignity.
Choose between these
5- everyday
sumo champion
when broad achievement is enough
not when Tournament champions at lower ranks are not thereby yokozuna.
- professional
rank holder
when discussing the office rather than personal fame
not when The generic phrase erases the unique standards and permanence of this rank.
- professional
top-ranked wrestler
when competitive standing matters to a general reader
not when A wrestler can lead a current table without holding the rank of yokozuna.
- formal
grand champion
when the Japanese rank needs a concise explanation
not when Grand champion is a translation and not the official title in every sport.
- literary
leading rikishi
when Japanese sumo vocabulary is already established
not when A leading rikishi may still be several ranks below yokozuna.
Said against
3- novice
- lower-ranked wrestler
- challenger
It naturally appears in
3- new yokozuna
The new yokozuna performed the ceremony before his first tournament at rank.
- reigning yokozuna
The reigning yokozuna withdrew rather than compete while injured.
- yokozuna rank
The yokozuna rank carries expectations beyond winning bouts.
Where this comes from
Yokozuna is a specific sumo rank, not a generic superlative for a large or powerful person.
- Wiktionary, English noun senses: highest sumo rank and a person holding that rank opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.