also: りきじ
noun
The primary modern meaning: a professional sumo wrestler. Used in sumo contexts and news.
彼は大相撲の力士です。
He is a sumo wrestler in professional sumo.
力士たちは毎日厳しい
The sumo wrestlers train hard every day.
noun
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.
彼はまるで力士のような体格だ。
He has a physique like a sumo wrestler.
noun
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
仁王門には二体の力士像が安置されている。
Two Deva king statues are enshrined at the Nio gate.
Obsolete reading; not used in modern Japanese.
From 力 (chikara, 'strength') + 士 (shi, 'person of a certain status'). The reading りきし is a Sino-Japanese compound. The obsolete reading りきじ reflects an older voiced variant.