What does hexed mean?
Hexed is chiefly an adjective meaning affected by a spell or enchantment, and it is also the past tense and past participle of hex. The word can refer literally to a person, place, or object believed to have been bewitched, but its more common figurative use describes something that seems cursed, jinxed, or mysteriously prone to bad luck. For example, one might say that a team felt hexed after a series of avoidable defeats, or that an old machine was hexed because it failed whenever it was needed. In this informal, especially North American, register, hexed often conveys the unsettling suggestion that misfortune is deliberate rather than accidental. As a verb, hexed describes the act of casting such a harmful spell: a storyteller might write that a witch hexed a village’s well. The word derives from the older noun and verb hex, which came into English from German Hexe, meaning “witch.” Although the expression sounds antiquated or theatrical when used literally, it remains vivid in casual descriptions of bad luck and frustration.
Affected by a spell or enchantment; bewitched. Figuratively, cursed, jinxed, or marked by persistent bad luck.
"The villagers said the abandoned house was hexed."
Often used predicatively and commonly employed figuratively in informal, especially North American, English.
To put a harmful spell on; bewitch or jinx.
"She hexed the rival team, but it won the next match."
The simple past and past participle of hex; somewhat literary when used literally, but still current in figurative and humorous contexts.
“Hexed” carries the unsettling idea that bad luck may be deliberate rather than accidental.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does hexed come from?
The English words hex and hexed are associated with German Hexe, meaning “witch,” and entered English use in the early 20th century. The sense of an evil spell or malicious charm became established, particularly in North American usage; hexed is the adjective or participial form and the inflected verb form. The word’s relationship to the Greek prefix hexa-, meaning “six,” is uncertain, so the two should not be assumed to share an origin.
How hexed is actually used
Informal in contemporary use and especially associated with North American English. As an adjective, it is often used predicatively, as in “the well was hexed”; as a verb, it is the simple past and past participle of “hex.” Its figurative use conveys more than ordinary misfortune by suggesting a curse, jinx, or malign influence.
Easily confused with hexed
Hexed means bewitched, cursed, or jinxed, whereas heckled means subjected to ridicule, questioning, or interruption, usually by a group.