also: りきじ
The primary modern meaning: a professional sumo wrestler. Used in sumo contexts and news.
He is a sumo wrestler in professional sumo.
The sumo wrestlers train hard every day.
strong man; man of great strength
Figurative use comparing someone's strength to that of a sumo wrestler. Not a common standalone meaning; often used in metaphors or set phrases.
He has a physique like a sumo wrestler.
Deva king; guardian deity
Abbreviation of 金剛力士 (kongōrikishi), the two guardian deities often seen at temple gates. Used in Buddhist contexts.
See also: 金剛力士
Two Deva king statues are enshrined at the Nio gate.
He became a sumo wrestler right after graduating high school.
Both wrestlers stepped onto the ring, and the match began.
I cheered for my favorite wrestler in front of the TV.
力士 is the standard, formal word for a professional sumo wrestler, while 相撲 in this sense is a casual abbreviation of 相撲取り.
力士 is the general word for any sumo wrestler, while 関取 refers specifically to those in the top two divisions (makuuchi and juryo).
counter for people
Deva king; Vajrapani
sumo wrestlers' association; association of salaried wrestlers
top four ranks of sumo wrestlers
wrestler waiting his turn by the ring
wrestler of grand champion quality without the title
Standard kanji spelling; the reading りきし is the modern standard.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
A Sino-Japanese word meaning “strong man” or “man of strength,” also used for Buddhist guardian figures; it later became the standard term for a sumo wrestler.