View synonyms for mondo

mondo

[ mon-doh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Zen.

, plural mon·dos.

a question to a student for which an immediate answer is demanded, the spontaneity of which is often illuminating.

mondo

adverb

very; extremely:
mondo cool.

adjective

large; big:
a mondo history paper.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of mondo¹

First recorded in 1925–30; from Japanese mondō, earlier mondau “rapid question and answer, catechesis between a rōshi (master) and student,” from Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese wèn “inquire” + dá “reply”

Origin of mondo²

First recorded in 1965–70; from Italian mondo “world,” extracted from the film Mondo Cane ( “A Dog's World” ) (1962) and reinterpreted as an adverb in Italian or pseudo-Italian phrases such as mondo bizarro “very bizarre,” literally, “bizarre world”