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mojo

/ˈmoʊˌʤoʊ/
IPA guide

Other forms: mojos

If you have good mojo, you’re popular, persuasive, and successful. It’s not a permanent thing, though. You could lose your mojo. It’s literally a magic charm bag, but these days you can have good mojo without all the baggage.

In the U.S., the word mojo is commonly used to mean "magic" or even simply "control" or "power." If a musician makes a great new album after a couple of poorly reviewed releases, a critic could exclaim, "She's got her mojo back!" You could also admire a candidate running for the Senate, praising her political mojo. Originally, mojo referred to specific African American folk beliefs, from the Gullah word moco, "witchcraft." You’re getting some good vocabulary mojo right now.

Definitions of mojo
  1. noun
    a magic power or magic spell
    see moresee less
    type of:
    magic, thaumaturgy
    any art that invokes supernatural powers
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