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.”

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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OTHER WORDS FROM Jonah

Jo·nah·esque, adjective

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

How to use Jonah in a sentence

Now Nick Jonas, freshly 22 years old and leaving his days as a mommy-approved Jonas Brothers crooner behind, is following suit.
Nick Jonas Is All Grown Up, Clutching His Penis and Everything|Kevin Fallon|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“[She] said that at one point I was too heavy, that I was crushing her,” Jonas says.
Nick Jonas Is All Grown Up, Clutching His Penis and Everything|Kevin Fallon|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Following in those shrewd, shirtless footsteps, perhaps one day Jonas will be peed on by Nicole Kidman, too.
Nick Jonas Is All Grown Up, Clutching His Penis and Everything|Kevin Fallon|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
All that, and, Jonas tells me, “overall I thought it was just really badass.”
Nick Jonas Is All Grown Up, Clutching His Penis and Everything|Kevin Fallon|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Giver, in a pivotal moment, tells Jonas that releasing is actually a form of euthanizing.
Why 'The Giver' Movie Will Disappoint the Book's Fans|Kevin Fallon|August 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Jonas is swallowed up by a great fish: he prayeth with confidence in God; and the fish casteth him out on the dry land.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
And Jonas began to enter into the city one day's journey: and he cried and said: Yet forty days and Ninive shall be destroyed.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Jonas: La baleine fut la fin oblige de le vomir tant un Prophte est un morceau difficile digrer.
Baron d'Holbach|Max Pearson Cushing
After the discipline a candidate for admission was presented, a stout young man, named Jonas.
The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.
I knew the nature of Sir Jonas very well, and saw that flight would mean disaster long before she could reach any place of safety.
The Way of a Man|Emerson Hough

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