juju

1 of 2

noun (1)

ju·​ju ˈjü-(ˌ)jü 

1

: a fetish, charm, or amulet of West African peoples

2

: the magic attributed to or associated with jujus

juju

2 of 2

noun (2)

: a style of West African music that is characterized by a rapid beat, the use of percussion instruments, and vocal harmonies

Examples of juju in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As Stevie Wonder’s eponymous 1972 hit suggests, there’s something specifically ominous about a 13-month-old baby that puts it in league with the bad juju of falling ladders and broken looking glasses. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026

Whatever juju, imagined or self-made, permeating throughout the Braves’ roster over the last few weeks was exorcised Wednesday. — Chad Bishop, AJC.com, 2 July 2026

Emiliano Grillo The Argentinian’s juju is probably solid because his native country is the reigning World Cup champion and has a realistic chance of going back-to-back this summer. — Geoff Clark Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 June 2026

Yes, that was the men’s basketball team destroying the bad juju from the previous two seasons with a strong run in the conference tournament. — Brian Robin, Oc Register, 8 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

of W. African origin; akin to the source of Hausa jùju fetish

Noun (2)

Yoruba jújù

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1823, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1954, in the meaning defined above