What does jinxing mean?
“Jinxing” means bringing bad luck or misfortune upon someone, especially by following a superstition or by doing something thought to spoil good fortune. It is often used when describing anxiety about a sports team, a performer, a game, or another important event: people say that naming a success too soon, or performing a familiar ritual, may “jinx” the result. The word can also mean more generally to ruin or undermine someone's chances, as in “jinxing the launch of a new product.” Its tone is usually informal and often mildly humorous, although the idea of a jinx reflects a serious superstition that something can have an unwanted influence on events. In contemporary usage, “jinxing” is especially common in American English, while British speakers also use it, particularly in similar sporting and colloquial contexts.
To bring bad luck or misfortune upon someone or something, especially through superstition or the belief that a particular person, place, or event is cursed.
"The players avoided talking about the championship in case they jinxed it."
Common in informal English, particularly in discussions of sports, games, and superstitious behavior.
The act of bringing bad luck or of placing a supposed curse on someone or something.
"There was no need for jinxing; the team had already struggled all season."
The noun form is less common than the verb and usually retains the word's informal, superstitious tone.
Calling it a jinx makes bad luck sound almost playful—even when it has already started following you around.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of jinxing
The word entered English in the early 20th century, probably through American slang, but its precise origin is uncertain. The base verb “jinx” developed from a broader tradition of naming or believing in a particular person, object, or place as a source of bad luck. The present form “jinxing” is the regular verb ending attached to that base.
Related word forms
How jinxing is actually used
Informal and commonly associated with superstition, sports, games, and expressions of anxiety about bad luck. It is usually humorous or figurative rather than a precise technical term.
Easily confused with jinxing
“Jinx” is the noun for a supposed source of bad luck, while “jinxing” describes the act of bringing bad luck or spoiling someone's chances.
A “hex” is a curse or spell believed to cause harm, whereas “jinxing” often refers more broadly to the supposed act of bringing bad luck, especially in sports or informal speech.