jinx

Everyday

1. A jinx is a person or thing that people believe brings bad luck. tree →
2. To jinx something is to bring bad luck to it, often (people joke) by talking about it too early. tree →
3. (game) «Jinx!» is called out in a children's game when two people say the same word at the same time. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday talk and sport: «Don't say we'll win, you'll jinx it!» It tells the reader about superstition. Science: there is no proof that jinxes are real; it is a belief and a joke.

Examples

• Don't say it's going to be sunny, you'll jinx it! tree →
• He thinks the number 13 is a jinx. tree →
• «Jinx!» we both shouted at once. tree →
• The team felt jinxed after losing five games. tree →
• Some sailors believed a cat on board was a jinx. tree →
• Saying the word does not really jinx anything. tree →

Note

Plural: jinxes; verb forms jinxed, jinxing. It is a superstition, not a fact.