mojo
Americannoun
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an object, as an amulet or charm, that is believed to carry a magic spell.
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the art or practice of casting magic spells; magic.
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Informal.
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a seemingly magical personal charm, power, or influence over other people.
He’s always a hit with the ladies when he gets his mojo working.
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exceptional ability, good luck, success, etc..
It seems like our team has finally gotten its mojo back.
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exceptional energy or power.
Tracking back over the warm Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane regained its mojo and hit the Mississippi coast full force.
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noun
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an amulet, charm, or magic spell
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( as modifier )
ancient mojo spells
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the art of casting magic spells
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uncanny personal power or influence
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of mojo
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; compare Gullah moco “witchcraft, magic,” probably akin to Fulani moco'o “medicine man”
Explanation
If you have good mojo, you’re popular, persuasive, and successful. It’s not a permanent thing, though. You could lose your mojo. It’s literally a magic charm bag, but these days you can have good mojo without all the baggage. In the U.S., the word mojo is commonly used to mean "magic" or even simply "control" or "power." If a musician makes a great new album after a couple of poorly reviewed releases, a critic could exclaim, "She's got her mojo back!" You could also admire a candidate running for the Senate, praising her political mojo. Originally, mojo referred to specific African American folk beliefs, from the Gullah word moco, "witchcraft." You’re getting some good vocabulary mojo right now.
Vocabulary lists containing mojo
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And in March he spoke with Mojo and told the outlet that he’s not interested in politics.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026
Those hits are contributing to Hollywood’s best run since before the pandemic, with domestic box-office receipts up about 10% from last year, according to Box Office Mojo.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
That puts its domestic box office haul at $378.5 million, with an additional $1 billion overseas, according to Box Office Mojo.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
Mojo magazine saying the trio had found a renewed sense of purpose.
From BBC • Dec. 15, 2025
Gaines could take the untied, undefeated 1972 Mojo state champions and play Lee’s worst team, and Gaines would lose.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
