jingoistic
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of jingoistic
Explanation
If your car sports a bumper sticker that reads, "my country, right or wrong," you might be accused of being jingoistic, or of taking your love for your country way too far. The line between patriotic and jingoistic can sometimes seem vague and confusing. Both adjectives describe a devotion to one's country, but jingoistic implies a fanatical allegiance that goes beyond pride, and often includes aggression toward other countries. The word jingo, "mindless, gung-ho patriot," arose from a popular 1878 song that praised Britain's warlike stance toward Russia at the time, and came into American use in the 1890s during the Spanish-American war.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The speaking of the Spanish language on Mexican soil can trigger the most jingoistic attitudes,” Nericcio told me, “so why not pave over five centuries of history and call it the Gulf of America?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2025
In recent years, the party has worked to shed its image as a bastion of jingoistic “Little Englanders” and to attract a more diverse membership.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 3, 2023
Nearly everyone in China is familiar with “Full River Red,” a wistful, jingoistic poem by the 12th-century general Yue Fei.
From New York Times ● Mar. 16, 2023
This is true, as cultural critic Laurent Dubois notes, even among fans that are not jingoistic or nationalistic in any other environment.
From Salon ● Nov. 25, 2022
The press is almost universally jingoistic, because it is financially interested in sensationalism.
From Proportional Representation Applied To Party Government by Ashworth, T. R. (Thomas Ramsden)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
