Jedi mind trick
A mental feat such as apparently inducing someone to act a certain way or reading someone's mind, achieved as if by magic or telepathy.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He used a Jedi mind trick to get me to buy lunch.”
“The salesperson tried a Jedi mind trick to convince me that I needed the expensive upgrade.”
“My toddler performed a Jedi mind trick on me by making me believe that eating ice cream for breakfast was actually my own brilliant idea.”
“She employed a subtle Jedi mind trick, skillfully steering the conversation until I agreed to her terms without even realizing it.”
first recorded 20th c.
The term originates from the 1977 film Star Wars, in which members of the Jedi order manipulate the thoughts of others. The mechanism for this influence is the Force, a metaphysical power that allows the user to implant suggestions directly into a subject's mind.
The Jedi employ the technique to ensure others act according to their specific wishes. Since the film's release, the phrase has entered the lexicon to describe various forms of psychological persuasion, though the modern user generally lacks the metaphysical advantages of the original cinematic source.
- 01
bag of tricks
A set of skills, techniques, items of information, or other resources used to help achieve professional or personal goals.
- 02
bear in mind
To hold (something) in the memory; to remember; also, to be mindful of or pay attention to (something); to consider; to note.
- 03
blow someone's mind
To astonish someone; to flabbergast someone.
- 04
bored out of one's mind
Extremely bored.
- 05
cast one's mind back
To try to remember a particular time or event; to think about something in the past.
- 06
change one's mind
To decide differently than one had decided before.
- 07
change someone's mind
To convince someone to make a choice or develop a preference differing from their previous one.
- 08
close one's mind
To refuse to understand things.
Last updated August 10, 2026