Word
voodoo
US/ˈvuˌdu/
UK/vˈuːduː/
Definitions
01religion
n. a religion practiced mainly in Haiti and parts of the southern US that involves spirits and magic.
n. a religion derived from African polytheism and ancestor worship, practiced chiefly in Haiti and Louisiana.
“The museum has an exhibit about the history of voodoo in New Orleans.”
“Scholars often distinguish between the commercialized image of voodoo and the actual complex religious practices found in Haitian communities.”
Synonyms
02irrational method
n. a way of doing something that seems like magic or does not make sense.
n. a method or belief system characterized by irrationality or mysterious, unexplained efficacy.
“Some people think the stock market is just financial voodoo.”
“The senior engineer dismissed the new software patch as 'technical voodoo' because nobody could explain why it actually fixed the bug.”
Informal · Humorous
Teaching tip
In this figurative sense, the word is often used to mock something the speaker does not understand or trust.
03to bewitch
v. to use magic or a spell to influence someone.
v. to affect or influence through the supposed use of voodoo or supernatural means.
“He joked that his rival had voodooed his car so it wouldn't start.”
“The protagonist feared he had been voodooed by the old man he met at the crossroads.”
Informal · Literary
Etymology
From Louisiana Creole voudou, from Haitian Creole Vodou, from a West African language, such as Ewe vódũ (“deity, idol”), Fon vòdún (“fetish”) or the Kwa languages vodũ.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/voodoo