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Glite Dictionary
📖 A Bible book 🧔 A Bible prophet ☔ A bad luck person
Jonah

Jonah

9.4
A person believed to bring bad luck to others
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒoʊnə/
  • Archaic
translation icon : gafe (informal)
  • They were wary of inviting Sam on the boat, afraid he might be a Jonah.

Examples

  • Whenever Mark joins our poker game, someone calls him a Jonah because he never seems to win.

  • After the team's terrible season, fans began to view the new coach as a Jonah.

  • Don't be such a Jonah at the party!

  • Why do you always act like a Jonah when we go out?

  • After the team's terrible season, fans began to view the new coach as a Jonah.

  • They were wary of inviting Sam on the boat, afraid he might be a Jonah.

  • Whenever Mark joins our poker game, someone calls him a Jonah because he never seems to win.

Synonyms

jinx
vsJonah
  • Informal
10 7.2

A person thought to bring bad luck to others

is the same in meaning but uses a different name

Antonyms

good luck charm
13 3.0

A small thing people keep because they believe it brings good luck

Compounds

Book of Jonah
  • Literature
5.6

A Bible story about Jonah who ran away from God's order and was swallowed by a big fish

Jonah crab
  • US
8.2

A large red crab from the east coast of North America eaten as seafood

Surface Forms

Jonah singular
Jonahs plural

Etymology

A Jonah meaning an unlucky person comes from the Bible tale when sailors blamed Jonah for a storm and threw him into the sea, so people began to call someone who brings 'bad luck' a 'Jonah'.