voodoo

1 of 3

noun

voo·​doo ˈvü-(ˌ)dü How to pronounce voodoo (audio)
plural voodoos
1
or less commonly vodou : a religion that is derived from African polytheism and ancestor worship and is practiced chiefly in Haiti
2
a
: a person who deals in spells and necromancy
b(1)
: a sorcerer's spell : hex
(2)
: a hexed object : charm

voodoo

2 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or practicing voodoo
voodoo rituals
2
: based on highly improbable suppositions : extremely implausible or unrealistic
voodoo economics

voodoo

3 of 3

verb

voodooed; voodooing; voodoos

transitive verb

: to bewitch by or as if by means of voodoo : hex

Examples of voodoo in a Sentence

Noun found a voodoo who was willing to put a hex on the man who had jilted her
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The rule of law has largely collapsed: Last month, a 13-year-old girl and her father, a voodoo priest, were killed with machetes by gang members. Declan Walsh, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Ritual killings, strange voodoo symbols, the mysterious Yellow King. Erik Kain, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 Going to Kansas City for a first-round playoff game is bad voodoo for Miami. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2024 The voodoo has mercifully fallen by the wayside, for the most part. Dustin Nelson, EW.com, 30 Oct. 2023 For months, Republican lawmakers had fashioned Biden’s follies into a political voodoo doll in their quest to pin an impeachment inquiry onto his father, the president. Tribune News Service, Hartford Courant, 10 Jan. 2024 At the burial site, a voodoo priest cleanses the gang with smoke. Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 26 Nov. 2023 The Who were full of abandon, rockin’ hard and melodically brilliant; Jimi was musical voodoo and flamboyance incarnate; Cream was a showcase of bluesy virtuosity; but this? Geddy Lee, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2023 No one shape-shifted quite as dramatically as Tituba, Indian in the court papers, Black and versed in voodoo by the time Miller had finished with her. Stacy Schiff, The New York Review of Books, 22 Dec. 2022
Adjective
Junior project manager Kelsey A., 25, referenced her New Orleans roots by gifting Joey a voodoo doll and esthetician Talyah, 23, brought him a save the date for their wedding. Dana Rose Falcone, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024 After bringing in a voodoo priestess to help her, it was revealed that ghost named Mrs. Spencer — a former resident and the late niece of financier J.P. Morgan — was haunting the home. Natalia Senanayake, Peoplemag, 2 Jan. 2024 There’s no pendulum clock swaying back and forth; no voodoo magic or enchanting spell. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2023 Season 3 also follows Catherine’s struggle to win the favor of the Russian people — who make something of a voodoo doll to spite her, as seen in the trailer — as Peter tries to keep himself busy while being plagued by visions of his late father (Jason Isaacs). Selome Hailu, Variety, 12 Apr. 2023 In fact, during the mid-60s, Bo was the funkiest cat of them all, a trait reflected in this 1966 collaboration with Art Neville that sounds like Otis Redding zapped with voodoo magic. Ron Hart, Billboard, 23 July 2019 Customers who feel they’ve been overcharged, customers who talk about one-hour hold times with customer service, customers who think the explanations given for their bills is voodoo economics. Erik Lacitis, The Seattle Times, 15 Jan. 2018
Verb
Despite his clearly enjoying killing people for personal reasons, the movie’s Kraven seems to think of himself as a kind of antihero, which voodoo practitioner Calypso (Ariana DeBose) rightfully clocks as a red flag. Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'voodoo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Louisiana Creole voudou, probably from Ewe vódũ tutelary deity

First Known Use

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1880, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of voodoo was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near voodoo

Cite this Entry

“Voodoo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/voodoo. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

voodoo

noun
voo·​doo
ˈvüd-ü
plural voodoos
1
: a religion that is based on African ancestor worship and practiced chiefly in Haiti
2
: a person who deals in spells and magic
voodoo adjective
Etymology

Noun

from Louisiana French voudou "voodoo"; of African origin

More from Merriam-Webster on voodoo

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