hoodoo
Americannoun
-
Hoodoo. African American folk magic practiced predominantly in the southeastern United States through rituals of protection, herbal medicine, charming of objects, and ancestor veneration.
-
(in popular culture) bad luck, or a person or thing that brings bad luck.
-
Geology. a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape, left by erosion.
verb (used with object)
noun
-
a variant of voodoo
-
informal a person or thing that brings bad luck
-
informal bad luck
-
(in the western US and Canada) a strangely shaped column of rock
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of hoodoo
An Americanism dating back to 1870–75; apparently a variant of Voodoo
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.
See Examples For:
James Slipper scored a try in his 200th Super Rugby match as the ACT Brumbies broke a 26-year hoodoo on Sunday with a 50-24 hammering of the Canterbury Crusaders.
From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026
Winger Corey Toole is confident the ACT Brumbies have what it takes to snap a 26-year hoodoo against the Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch, drawing inspiration from their drought-breaking victory in Auckland last year.
From Barron's ● Feb. 21, 2026
United have some sort of hoodoo over Villa, who have only beaten them in one of their past 26 Premier League meetings - Unai Emery's first game in charge, in November 2022.
From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025
Joined by a lyrical harmonica and Caton’s vocals, it’s music that almost lets the audience smell the cotton fields and country roads and smoke-filled hoodoo huts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2025
I must be the only one free of your hoodoo bad luck.”
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Hikes into the mountains bring you winter views of the hoodoos, a distinct landmark of the Columbia Valley.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 23, 2024
By the time we made it to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, we were pretty excited to see something other than the hoodoos and arches that we were starting to take for granted.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2023
This 9,915-acre state park is one of Utah’s most popular and, along with Bryce Canyon National Park, about 200 miles southwest, contains some of the largest occurrences of hoodoos in the world.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 16, 2022
Southgate says England, a nation looking to reach a first final for 55 years, have dealt with a number of "hoodoos" already during the tournament.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2021
She wore a rabbit foot and a conjure bag and believed in ha'nts and hoodoos.
From The Purple Heights by Oemler, Marie Conway
“He got hoodooed by this guy. He’s worth $16 billion. He’s obviously hoodooed a few people here and there. He took our governor for a ride,” Harpootlian said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 14, 2022
His explanation: he was being hoodooed by a radio announcer.
From Time Magazine Archive
I’ve met the graveyard rabbit—one of them had hoodooed my motor yesterday.
From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie
We was hoodooed to beat the band, and Mr. Raymer's got us, comin' and goin'.
From The Price by Lynde, Francis
We're all hoodooed, the last one of us.
From The Grafters by Lynde, Francis
Do you realize what a start like this—three twos—would mean to a professional like Frank or even an amateur that hadn't offended every busy little fate and fury in the whole hoodooing business?
From Murder in Any Degree by Johnson, Owen
"I won't be any longer than I can help, and don't you go to hoodooing me, now, while I'm upstairs."
From Jewel by Burnham, Clara Louise
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.
