no-no boy
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
A Japanese man who refused to renounce the Japanese emperor and to serve in the United States armed forces.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “no-no boy” mean?
A Japanese man who refused to renounce the Japanese emperor and to serve in the United States armed forces.
Is “no-no boy” formal or informal?
no-no boy is generally slang.