Dictionary

jujitsu en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling jitsu (instead of less popular jiutsu or jutsu) could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mentioned in The Japan Mail (1875, page 133), before the widespread use of the Hepburn system.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A Japanese martial art and method of self-defence, typically unarmed, emphasizing manipulating an opponent’s force against themselves rather than directly opposing it with force, and using a wide variety of holds, throws, and defensive techniques.
2. (countable, uncountable) Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a related art, derived from judo.
3. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Strategic maneuvering, especially with the aim of using the strength of one's opponent against them in an unexpected or counterintuitive way.
   • The far-right glitterati were not impressed with Trump’s Epstein jiu-jitsu. 2025 July 16, Ryan Bort and Asawin Suebsaeng, “Trump calls Epstein conspiracy a ‘hoax’ and turns on Maga ‘weaklings’”, in Rolling Stone, archived from the original on 16 Jul 2025:

Forms

Deriveds

suffrajitsu · Bartitsu

Relateds

jujitsuka · Brazilian jiu-jitsu · judo

Translations (32)

fi jujutsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · nn jiu-jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ca jujutsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ca jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · sk džiu-džitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · cy jw-jitsw (method of self-defence established in Japan) · es ju-jutsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · pt jiu-jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · bn জুজুৎসু (method of self-defence established in Japan) · km គុនអាវុធ (method of self-defence established in Japan) · cs džiu-džitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ms jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ka ჯიუ-ჯიცუ (method of self-defence established in Japan) · de Jiu-Jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · it jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · eo ĵuĵicuo (method of self-defence established in Japan) · fr jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ru джиу-джи́тсу (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ru дзюдзю́цу (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ja 柔術 (method of self-defence established in Japan) · id jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · da jiu-jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · nb jiu-jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · hu dzsiudzsicu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · cmn 柔術 /柔术 (method of self-defence established in Japan) · km គុនឥតអាវុធ (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ro jujutsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ro jujitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · pl ju-jitsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · it jujutsu (method of self-defence established in Japan) · vi nhu thuật (method of self-defence established in Japan) · ko 유술 (method of self-defence established in Japan)

jujitsu en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ˌd͡ʒuːˈd͡ʒɪtsuː/
• (US) audio

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 柔術 (jūjutsu). Popular spelling jitsu (instead of less popular jiutsu or jutsu) could reference to allophonic [d͡ʑɨ] or [d͡ʑi] (in Shitamachi dialect). First mentioned in The Japan Mail (1875, page 133), before the widespread use of the Hepburn system.

Meanings

1. (ambitransitive, figuratively) To attack (someone) or overcome (a challenge) with strategic maneuvering.
   • Your economy will face “devast[at]ing” consequences, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Russian President Vladimir Putin about the sanctions the United States and its allies would impose if Russia invaded Ukraine. When Putin invaded Ukraine anyway, the sanctions did hit hard. Yet Putin hasn’t withdrawn. And he’s jiujitsu-ed with Russia’s own countersanctions. 2022 August 18, Bruce W. Jentleson, “Who’s Winning the Sanctions War?”, in Foreign Policy:
   • He could never have developed GE’s reputation in that sector if he were still fighting the image of stonewalling on Hudson River cleanup efforts. “They've completely jujitsu-ed that,” notes PR executive Richard Edelman. “They've set a new standard. It's not just corporate social responsibility (CSR) as philanthropy. It's CSR that makes money.” 2008, “Go on the Offensive and Shape the Message”, in William J. Holstein, Manage the Media (Don't Let the Media Manage You), Boston, MA: Harvard Business Press, →ISBN, page 60:
   • Mischievous bloggers and tweeters are jujitsu-ing the Allied publicity machine with gags about how it’s Ange who is going to come on to whack Marion. Allied might be upstaged by the gossip, and become best known for something other than itself. 2016 November 7, Peter Bradshaw, “Allied: what happens when a film gets eclipsed by gossip”, in The Guardian:

Forms