jinx
/dʤiɳks/
Definition
Noun:
- A person or thing believed to bring bad luck: A "jinx" is a person, object, or force thought to cause misfortune or failure.
- A spell or curse that brings bad luck: It can also refer to the state of bad luck itself, often seen as a magical or superstitious influence.
Verb:
- To bring bad luck to; to curse: To "jinx" someone or something means to cause them to have bad luck, often unintentionally.
- To doom to failure: It implies casting a figurative or superstitious spell that ensures an unfavorable outcome.
Examples
Noun: Ever since he broke the mirror, he's been considered a jinx. The team believed the old stadium was a jinx, as they never won there.
Verb: Don't say we're going to win yet, you'll jinx it! She felt the rainy weather had jinxed their picnic plans.
Advanced Usage
"to put a jinx on": to cast bad luck upon someone or something. The rival fans tried to put a jinx on our star player.
"to be jinxed": to be in a state of persistent bad luck. This car is jinxed; it breaks down every week.
Variants and Related Words
Jinxed (adj): Affected by bad luck. The jinxed project was finally canceled.
Hex (n/v): A synonym often used interchangeably with "jinx," implying a magical curse.
- Curse (n/v): A more general term for an invocation of harm or misfortune.
Synonyms
- Hoodoo: A person or thing that brings bad luck.
- Whammy (informal): A stroke of bad luck or an evil influence.
- Jonah: A person who brings bad luck (from the biblical story).
Related Phrases
- "Jinx, you owe me a soda": A playful phrase said when two people say the same thing simultaneously, based on a children's superstition to avoid bad luck.
Idioms
- "To break the jinx": To end a streak of bad luck.
Noun
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an evil spell
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a witch put a curse on his whole family
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he put the whammy on me
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a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him
Verb
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foredoom to failure
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This project is jinxed!
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cast a spell over someone or something; put a hex on someone or something