voodoo
voodoo Lexical Profile
voodoo Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A syncretic Afro-Caribbean religion practised chiefly in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora (also in Louisiana), combining elements of traditional West African Vodun beliefs with Roman Catholic ritual and veneration of spirits.
"The anthropologist spent several years in Haiti studying the traditional music and spiritual ceremonies of voodoo."
Magical practices, sorcery, or superstitious beliefs popularly associated with charms, spells, or curses.
"He joked that fixing the temperamental vintage printer required a bit of technical voodoo."
A person who practises voodoo, or an object, charm, or spell believed to bring bad luck.
"The superstitious players believed that a voodoo had been placed on their locker room after their fifth consecutive loss."
• adjective
Relating to or characteristic of the religion or rituals of Vodou.
"The museum exhibit featured authentic voodoo altars and ceremonial drums from nineteenth-century New Orleans."
Based on illusory, unscientific, or magical assumptions rather than empirical evidence or sound reasoning.
"Critics dismissed the administration's overly optimistic budget projections as voodoo economics."
• verb
To affect, bewitch, or bring bad luck to someone by or as if by a voodoo spell.
"The fans half-seriously claimed that a rival supporter had voodooed their star striker before the championship match."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring respectfully to the authentic Afro-Caribbean religion and its practitioners, scholars and adherents often prefer the spellings 'Vodou' (Haitian) or 'Vodun' (West African) to distinguish the faith from sensationalized pop-culture tropes of 'voodoo' magic.
• Rhymes for voodoo
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed into English via Louisiana French voudou in the early 19th century, ultimately from West African Fon and Ewe vodũ, meaning 'spirit', 'deity', or 'sacred object'.