sayonara

[ sahy-uh-nahr-uh; Japanese sah-yaw-nah-rah ]

interjection

1. farewell; goodbye.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sayonara¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from Japanese sayō-nara, shortening of sayō-naraba, equivalent to sayō “thus” + naraba “if it be”

Example Sentences

“I never really wanted to do one because I always thought it was like a bit of a farewell, like a sayonara, a swan song,” the lead singer and songwriter says.

From Seattle Times

Saying sayonara to the slurpees — and the M&Ms, he added, and the Kit Kat bars — was, pardon the pun, bittersweet.

From Seattle Times

While a reporter was in the middle of asking a question, the San Diego Padres right-hander said in Japanese to no one in particular, “It’s a sayonara.”

From Los Angeles Times

Omitted from the sayonara was any celebration of the broader Fox News product.

From Washington Post

And everything about Thursday’s stop at Capital One Arena sure looked and sounded like sayonara.

From Washington Post