Jonah

[ joh-nuh ]

/ ˈdʒoʊ nə /

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noun

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.

a book of the Bible bearing his name.

any person or thing regarded as bringing bad luck.

Also Jo·nas

[joh-nuhs]. /ˈdʒoʊ nəs/. a male given name: from a Hebrew word meaning “dove.”

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OTHER WORDS FROM Jonah

Jo·nah·esque, adjective

Words nearby Jonah

jolt, jolty, JOMO, Jomon, Jon, Jonah, Jonah and the whale, Jonah crab, Jonathan, Jonathan spot, jones

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use Jonah in a sentence

A close family member said Jonah did not suffer severe physical injuries.
The shattered lives of Champlain Towers South|Silvia Foster-Frau, Ann Gerhart, Danielle Rindler, Karly Domb Sadof, Garland Potts, Artur Galocha|July 1, 2021|Washington Post
Jonah said his mother, Stacie Fang, was in there, too, but Balboa said he couldn’t see or hear her.
The shattered lives of Champlain Towers South|Silvia Foster-Frau, Ann Gerhart, Danielle Rindler, Karly Domb Sadof, Garland Potts, Artur Galocha|July 1, 2021|Washington Post
I mean, I love Jim VandeHei dearly, but Jonah has this ability to see around corners in the media business and to tell you what it’s going to be like in five or 10 years.
The World Is Ben Smith’s. Now What?|Eugene Robinson|September 24, 2020|Ozy
Jonah Edelman is the co-founder and CEO of Stand for Children.
What It Takes to Fix American Education|Jonah Edelman|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Jonah Hill and Michael Cera are justifiable movie stars in that movie.
What the Hell Is ‘Twee’? A Genre? A Mindset? An Art Form?|Scott Porch|June 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Poor Jonah has been hearing about that bet over and over again.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill on ‘22 Jump Street,’ Penis Kissing, and Julie Andrews’s Boobs|Kevin Fallon|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the table-read for Sarah Marshall, Jonah and Russell had such amazing chemistry.
The Unheralded Comedy Genius: Nicholas Stoller on ‘Neighbors,’ Zac Efron’s ‘Darkness,’ and Diddy|Marlow Stern|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I saw the same with Jonah and Russell and their chemistry, and I immediately conceived of the film right there.
The Unheralded Comedy Genius: Nicholas Stoller on ‘Neighbors,’ Zac Efron’s ‘Darkness,’ and Diddy|Marlow Stern|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From the stories of Jonah and King Saul she brought forth some excellent lessons on disobedience.
The value of a praying mother|Isabel C. Byrum
If it were indeed Jonah that lies there, there might be something in the argument; for the Prophet is known to have had a temper.
The Cradle of Mankind|W.A. Wigram
They repented not until Jonah proclaimed to them, "Yet forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown."
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala|Various
Then a gourd comes up over Jonah and protects him from the sun, but the next day it withers.
My Religion|Leo Tolstoy
Jonah, disgusted with the depravity of the inhabitants of Nineveh, flies from the city; but he cannot escape his vocation.
My Religion|Leo Tolstoy

British Dictionary definitions for Jonah

Jonah

Jonas (ˈdʒəʊnəs)

/ (ˈdʒəʊnə) /

noun

Old Testament

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
the book in which his adventures are recounted

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

Derived forms of Jonah

Jonahesque, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012