jinx
/dʒɪŋks/ (bre, ipa) · /dʒɪŋks/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈjiŋ(k)s/ (ame, mw)
jinx — noun
1. an unlucky influence that seems to follow someone, a team, or a place around so
an unlucky influence that seems to follow someone, a team, or a place around so things keep going wrong; also, someone or something widely blamed for causing such a streak of misfortune — for example, a baseball cap a player wears only when their team loses, or a friend who jokes about an upcoming match.
Mira blamed her broken wrist on the family jinx that always struck during ski trips.
noun + on someone/something — naming the unlucky influence
After three flat tyres last week, Vikram joked that there was a jinx on his delivery van.
common collocation: a jinx on something
Many players believe the old stadium is a jinx, since the home team always loses finals there.
Hiro refused to wear the green jersey, calling it a jinx after two losing seasons.
Rachel laughed and called her younger brother a complete jinx whenever he watched her tennis matches.
- lucky charm
an object or person believed to bring good luck instead
文法句型
a jinx on someone/something
用法筆記
Often appears in the fixed pattern 'a jinx on X' or as a complement after 'be' ('You're a jinx'). Subject of belief, not literal claim — speakers usually know the bad luck has no real cause.
常見錯誤
jinx — verb
- jinxpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jinxeshe / she / it
- jinxedpast simple
- jinxing-ing form
1. to make a person, plan, or event start to go wrong, especially by mentioning a h
to make a person, plan, or event start to go wrong, especially by mentioning a hoped-for good outcome out loud before it has actually happened.
Don't tell your manager about the promotion yet — Tendai says talking about it will jinx the whole thing.
typical use: speaking aloud is what does the jinxing
Manuela whispered the score so even her daughter couldn't hear, terrified of jinxing the game.
verb + noun (event/outcome)
Every road trip the Okafor family plans seems to get jinxed by a storm or a flat tyre.
Élise crossed her fingers, worried that praising the chef early would jinx the rest of the meal.
Tariq insisted he had jinxed his own team by wearing the wrong scarf to the final.
- bless
to bring good fortune rather than misfortune
文法句型
jinx someone/something
be jinxed
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('the project was jinxed from the start') or used in warnings before something good is about to happen ('don't jinx it'). The object is almost always something the speaker WANTS to succeed — you don't 'jinx' a thing you wanted to fail.