# jonah

/ˈdʒoʊnə/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/jonah
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. a person who brings bad luck

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Informal

a person who people believe brings bad luck to a group or a ship.

For teachers: a person or object regarded as a jinx or a source of misfortune for those around them. Often used in nautical contexts to describe a crew member blamed for a streak of ill luck.

- The sailors started to think the new cook was a jonah after the engine failed twice.
- The veteran captain dismissed the crew's grumbling that the new navigator was a jonah, attributing their recent misfortunes to poor weather rather than superstition.

Usage: Usually used with the indefinite article 'a'.

### 2. the biblical figure

noun · CEFR B2

a man in the Bible who was swallowed by a large fish and lived to tell the story.

For teachers: a prophet in the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament who was swallowed by a great fish after attempting to flee from God's command.

- The children learned the story of Jonah and the whale in their Sunday school class.
- The Book of Jonah is unique among the prophetic books for its narrative focus on the prophet's own reluctance rather than his oracles.

## Examples

- The captain called him a Jonah for bad luck.
- The crew refused to sail with him, calling him a Jonah after three storms hit.
- Superstitious sailors often labelled the quiet newcomer a Jonah, blaming his presence for the sudden squall.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.