Jonah

American  

[joh-nuh] / ˈdʒoʊ nə /

noun

1. a Minor Prophet who, for his impiety, was thrown overboard from his ship and swallowed by a large fish, remaining in its belly for three days before being cast up onto the shore unharmed.

2. a book of the Bible bearing his name.

3. any person or thing regarded as bringing bad luck.

4. Also Jonas a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “dove.”

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Jonah British  

/ ˈdʒəʊnə, ˈdʒəʊnəs /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. a Hebrew prophet who, having been thrown overboard from a ship in which he was fleeing from God, was swallowed by a great fish and vomited onto dry land

   2. the book in which his adventures are recounted

2. a person believed to bring bad luck to those around him; a jinx

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Other Word Forms

• Jonahesque adjective

Example Sentences

"We've been switching more to smaller equipment just because it's more efficient on fuel and it can still do what we need it to do," said head mechanic Jonah Monahan.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

Jonah Heim made it 4-2 on a bloop single — his first hit with the Braves.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“The baton has been passed from print to the traditional web, and now from the traditional web to social,” BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti said at the time.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026

“We believe there is a gap between the value of our individual assets and our market capitalization that suggests significant unrecognized upside,” Chief Executive Jonah Peretti said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

I bring my speakers and blast Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams just loud enough to make Jonah complain.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• unlucky
• woeful