verb
hex
HEHKS
verb
1
To cast a spell on someone, especially a harmful or evil one; to bewitch.
"The old woman claimed she could hex anyone who crossed her."
"In the story, the witch hexes the prince and turns him into a frog."
noun
1
An evil spell or curse.
"They believed the run of bad luck was caused by a hex."
"He joked that his car was under some kind of hex."
2
A hexagon-shaped space on a board game, used in strategy and wargaming.
"Each unit can move up to three hexes per turn."
How to Use Hex
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo put a curse on someone or something — or the curse itself.
Memory tip
Mostly used loosely or jokingly today, as in "hex" for a run of bad luck, rather than in serious talk of witchcraft.
Trace the full origin ↓
Common pairings
put a hex on
under a hex
hex sign
Word Forms
hexed past tense, hexes plural, hexes plural, hexes singular
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The old woman claimed she could _____ anyone who crossed her.
Etymology
From Pennsylvania German "hexe" (to practise witchcraft), borrowed from German "hexen," related to "Hexe" (witch). It shares a root with the English word "hag."