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jinx

JINGKS/d͡ʒɪŋks/

Verbjinxes, jinxing, jinxed

Noun pluraljinxes

5 meanings of jinx

Practice

  1. 1
    speak too soonverbtransitive
    To spoil a hoped-for outcome by speaking of it too soon, as if mentioning it could make things go wrong; often said half in jest.

    Nobody in the dugout would mention the no-hitter in case they jinxed it.

    Don't talk about the promotion yet; you'll jinx it.

    UsageThe object is usually it, often in a warning: don't jinx it, you'll jinx it.

  2. 2
    cursenouncountable
    An evil spell cast on someone or something.

    The healer claimed she could lift the jinx that had ruined his business.

    Locals swore the abandoned mill had been under a jinx since the miller's death.

    UsageUsed like curse: put a jinx on someone, under a jinx, lift or break the jinx.

    Similarcurse, spell, hoodoo

    Note

    Here the word is closest to its origin, jynx in the sense "a charm or spell": a jinx of this kind is a spell someone casts, not just a run of bad luck.

    Checked 2 Nov 2026 · 1 fact

  3. 3
    verbtransitive
    To bring bad luck to someone or something, as if by casting a spell or curse on them.

    The players were convinced the rookie had jinxed the whole season.

    Some sailors still refuse to whistle on deck for fear it will jinx the voyage.

    Similarcurse, hex

  4. 4
    nouncountable
    A person or thing believed to bring bad luck.

    After three storms in a week, the crew came to regard the new cook as a jinx.

    Fans began calling the rivals' stadium a jinx after their team lost there six years in a row.

    Similarhoodoo

Less common meaning

  1. 5
    said togetherinterjection
    Used as a playful call by someone who has just said the same thing as another person at the same moment.

    "Let's just stay home," they said together, and Maya was first to shout, "Jinx!"

    Both twins answered "Nope" at once, then pointed at each other and cried, "Jinx!"

    Note

    Calling it is a children's game with rules: whoever says jinx first after two people speak in unison wins. In one version the loser must stay silent until someone says their name, the rule Janey Powell lays down in a 1991 episode of The Simpsons. Snap does the same job for some speakers.

    Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 5 facts

    • Calling jinx is a children's game. en.wikipedia.org
    • After simultaneous speech, the first person to say jinx wins. en.wikipedia.org
    • One version requires silence until someone says the loser's name; Janey states this rule in The Simpsons. scribd.com
    • The Simpsons episode containing this scene dates from 1991. en.wikipedia.org
    • Snap can serve as an equivalent call. en.wiktionary.org

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of jinx apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

From jynx, in the transferred sense “a charm or spell”.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact

  • Jinx derives from jynx in its transferred sense of a charm or spell. en.wiktionary.org