jinx
jinx — noun
1. a state of repeated bad luck that seems to attach to someone or a place; alterna
a state of repeated bad luck that seems to attach to someone or a place; alternatively, someone or something people blame when misfortune keeps occurring
Eve thought the old house had a jinx — every new family there met with trouble.
collocation: a jinx on [place/person]
Min half-jokingly called himself a jinx — the computer crashed every time he typed.
countable: a jinx = a person who brings bad luck
For years the team thought the number thirteen jersey was jinxed, so nobody wore it.
Rafael refused to carry an umbrella indoors because his grandmother called it a jinx.
- curse
stronger and more supernatural; 'curse' implies deliberate magic, while 'jinx' can just be accidental bad luck
- hex
more specific to witchcraft; 'hex' always involves a spell, whereas 'jinx' can be an unexplained pattern of misfortune
- bad luck
not a direct synonym for the person/thing sense; 'bad luck' describes the outcome, not the supposed cause
- good luck charm
a person or thing believed to bring good fortune instead of bad
文法句型
a jinx
jinx on + noun phrase
用法筆記
Often used in the pattern 'a jinx on [something]' when describing a supposed curse. Frequently appears in informal, superstitious contexts — it is not used in formal writing about actual cause and effect.
常見錯誤
jinx — verb
- jinxpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jinxeshe / she / it
- jinxedpast simple
- jinxing-ing form
1. to cause someone or something to have misfortune, especially by mentioning a pos
to cause someone or something to have misfortune, especially by mentioning a positive outcome just before it fails to happen — for example, telling a friend 'You are sure to win' right before they lose the match
Apinya refused to talk about her interview, afraid she would jinx her chances.
Stefan warned his teammates not to celebrate early, afraid they would jinx themselves.
collocation: jinx oneself
Brooke felt she jinxed the trip by praising the weather just before the rain came.
Lukas knocked on wood after boasting about his business, hoping not to jinx it.
- bless
to bring good fortune or divine favour upon someone
文法句型
jinx + noun phrase
jinx + noun phrase + by + verb-ing
用法筆記
Frequently used in a 'do not jinx it!' warning pattern when someone talks too confidently about a hoped-for result. The person being warned has not actually caused anything — the word expresses a superstitious belief, not a real causal claim.