jinx

American  

[jingks] / dʒɪŋks /

verb (used with object)

• jinxes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jinxed,
  past participle,  past
• jinxing
  present participle

1. to bring bad luck to; curse.

   According to tradition, wishing an actor “good luck” before a show will jinx their performance.

   That place on the corner seems jinxed—no business ever stays there for long.

2. to destroy the point of.

   His sudden laugh jinxed the host's joke.

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noun

• jinxes
  plural

1. a person, thing, or influence supposed to bring bad luck.

   They said I was a jinx, because every time I came to see them play, they lost.

interjection

1. (used after two people say exactly the same thing at exactly the same time).

   I’ll drive—jinx! Great minds think alike!

jinx British  

/ dʒɪŋks /

noun

1. an unlucky or malevolent force, person, or thing

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verb

1. (tr) to be or put a jinx on

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outjinx
  verb (used with object)

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jinxes
  plural

Participles

• jinxing
  present
• jinxed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• jinx
  simple
• jinxes
  simple
• have jinxed
  perfect
• has jinxed
  perfect
• am jinxing
  progressive
• are jinxing
  progressive
• is jinxing
  progressive
• have been jinxing
  perfect progressive
• has been jinxing
  perfect progressive

Past

• jinxed
  simple
• had jinxed
  perfect
• was jinxing
  progressive
• were jinxing
  progressive
• had been jinxing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will jinx
  simple
• will have jinxed
  perfect
• will be jinxing
  progressive
• will have been jinxing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of jinx

An Americanism first recorded in 1910–15; perhaps from Latin jynx “wryneck” (bird used in divination and magic), from Greek íynx, perhaps from or akin to iýzein “to shout, yell”

Explanation

If your sister gets a flat tire every single time you ride in her car, she may have good reason to accuse you of being a jinx, or a bringer of bad luck. When your bad luck makes you think there's a jinx on you, you believe that you're cursed. A bad omen — like a black cat — can be called a jinx, or the resulting bad fortune itself might be referred to that way. Jinx is also a verb, meaning "to subject to bad luck." In the 17th century the word was jyng, which also meant a bird called a "wryneck," used in witchcraft.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jinx jinxes jinxed jinxing

The paper says the singer "used to jinx us.. but it's all over now!"

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Alexander Zverev ploughed into the Australian Open last eight on Sunday but said he "did not want to jinx it" as he bids to make the final for a second year in a row.

From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026

With Frankenstein, he worries he’ll jinx the monster by talking too much about him, snuffing out the ineffable thing that he says fueled his performance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2025

Perhaps it was a jinx, but a little more than eight months later, the Gallagher brothers would call it quits on August 22, 2009, at the V Festival in Weston Park, England.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2025

“He wasn’t trying to jinx me, he just wanted to talk about Hermione —” “I’ll be havin’ a few words with her, an’ all,” said Hagrid grimly, stomping up the stairs.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling

“Certainly it had nothing to do with the market selloff — it was just kind of one of those jinxes, if you want to call it that,” Saluzzi said.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 2, 2026

Here’s a question to ponder: If there are really such things as no-hitter jinxes, then why do the Mariners continue to get no-hit?

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2021

Nantz is already talking like he’s won—paging Scott Hoch—which would have been the announcer jinx to end all announcer jinxes.

From Golf Digest ● Apr. 10, 2020

“That’s the look he gives the rookie when the rookie jinxes the shift and says, ‘Boy, it sure is quiet tonight.’”

From Washington Times ● May 7, 2018

When pickled and eaten, these Murtlap growths promote resistance to curses and jinxes, though an overdose may cause unsightly purple ear hair.

From "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" by J.K. Rowling

Aaron Hickey is an excellent player, but he's jinxed by injury.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026

There’s even some blame for New York’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a Mets fan who apparently jinxed the team early April when he posed for a photo-op with unsettling team mascots Mr. and Mrs. Met.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 22, 2026

If it tanks, I’ll have jinxed it on behalf of all those EpiPen overpayers from the mid-2010s.

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

Just two minutes after coming off the bench, Denzel Dumfries jinxed his way into the right side of the area and rolled the ball across for Thuram to tuck into the bottom left corner.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 21, 2023

“Yes, but he hadn’t jinxed it, had he?” said Ron.

From "Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban" by J.K. Rowling

To avoid jinxing it, Kohs and Krieg never even uttered the word Nobel.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 17, 2026

Carpenter then tried to give it to Keoghan, but he refused, motioning at the statue as if it were a hot potato he was superstitious about jinxing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2024

And perhaps to avoid jinxing things, she has revealed this year what is on her phone's lock screen to motivate her this time round, telling reporters: "You're going to know after the final."

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2023

“I think I could be jinxing a player who hasn’t come into the NBA yet by me anointing him as the next great one,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 14, 2022

“He’s doing something — jinxing the broom,” said Hermione.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• hex