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

Allen will also take over as chief executive and chair, succeeding BuzzFeed founder Jonah Peretti.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026

Doctors successfully delivered Jonah “in a truly miraculous way,” Joel Brokenbrough, 34, wrote on Facebook, and the baby remains in stable condition in neonatal intensive care.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

After skittling tacklers as a 20-year-old at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Jonah Lomu was linked to the NFL, starred in his own video game and became famous around the world.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2026

The sprawling property, which is listed with Jonah Wilson and Josh Greer of Carolwood Estates, was snapped up by the Hollywood power couple in 2015 for $11.85 million.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

I think of Jonah, who used to take the train into Center City with his dad every day when he went to Purnell.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

Related Words

• unlucky
• woeful