jingo
Americannoun
-
a person who professes their patriotism loudly and excessively, favoring vigilant preparedness for war and an aggressive foreign policy; bellicose chauvinist.
-
English History. a Conservative supporter of British Prime Minister Disraeli's policy in Turkey during the period 1877–78.
adjective
-
of jingoes.
-
characterized by jingoism.
idioms
noun
-
a loud and bellicose patriot; chauvinist
-
jingoism
-
an exclamation of surprise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of jingo
First recorded in 1660–70; originally conjurer's call hey jingo! “appear! come forth!” (opposed to hey presto! hasten away!), taken into general use in the phrase by Jingo, euphemism for by God; chauvinistic sense from by Jingo in political song supporting use of British forces against Russia in 1878
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:
Despite winning the Nobel prize, Kipling's reputation has suffered over his association with British imperialism – he was described as a "jingo imperialist" by George Orwell, who also called him "the prophet of British Imperialism".
From The Guardian ● Feb. 25, 2013
Photograph: EO Hoppe/Getty Images For George Orwell, Rudyard Kipling was "a jingo imperialist … morally insensitive and aesthetically disgusting".
From The Guardian ● Jun. 21, 2012
Your twitter name, @edballsmp, might be factually accurate but, by jingo, it's dull.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 3, 2011
Dead Man in the Silver Market* is ostensibly an autobiographical treatise on what happens to patriotic ardor when it becomes decadent and jingo.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
"In a democracy everybody speaks,” said Dad, "so, by jingo, start speaking.”
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
![]()
U. S. jingoes predicted that Britain would send warships to guard her people in Nicaragua the instant the U. S. withdrew, Monroe Doctrine or no Monroe Doctrine.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
In one laconic sentence the German Ambassador to Japan, Major General Eugen Ott, last week set a temporary limit to German war aims and gave Japanese jingoes an encouraging pinch in the backside.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
Thus I have always been against the pacifists during the quarrel, and against the jingoes at its close..
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
He and the Sublime Emperor faced another assault by Japan's big navy jingoes.
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
I knew I was right all the time, but now I saw it and jingoes, it spoiled all my fun.
From Roy Blakeley by Fitzhugh, Percy Keese
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.