Word
luigi
Phoneticslui·gi
/ɫuˈidʒi/
Definition
n. a famous video game character who is the taller, younger brother of Mario. He usually wears a green hat and shirt.
n. a fictional character in the Mario video game franchise, typically depicted as the taller, more timid younger brother of the protagonist. Often used as a cultural reference for a secondary or supporting figure.
Examples
“My brother always chooses to play as Luigi.”
“The younger sibling was tired of being the Luigi of the family and wanted to lead for once.”
“While Mario remains the face of the franchise, Luigi has developed a distinct personality in spin-off titles, often characterized by his comical cowardice and surprising athletic ability.”
Examples
simple
“My brother always chooses to play as Luigi.”
contextual
“The younger sibling was tired of being the Luigi of the family and wanted to lead for once.”
complex
“While Mario remains the face of the franchise, Luigi has developed a distinct personality in spin-off titles, often characterized by his comical cowardice and surprising athletic ability.”
Usage
When used as a proper noun, it is always capitalized; when used metaphorically to describe a person, it remains a countable noun.
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian Luigi. Doublet of Ludovico, Luis, Ludwig, and other cognates. The verb sense emerged shortly after the December 2024 killing of American healthcare CEO Brian Thompson; the accused is Luigi Mangione.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/luigi