malocchio · noun — synonym of evil eye (“cursed gaze”). It carries an Arena rating of 1498, earned across 57 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, malocchio ranks #532 of 17,114 for Most Storied Words, #1,032 of 17,134 for Most Satisfying to Say, #1,249 of 17,142 for Scariest Words, #1,343 of 17,143 for Most Vivid Words.
Why “malocchio” is a great word
MALOCCHIO — [Noun] A curse or harm inflicted by a malevolent gaze, specifically one emanating from envy. Borrowed from Italian malocchio, from malo ("bad") + occhio ("eye"), from Latin malus ("bad") and oculus ("eye"). Unlike a "jinx," a general spell of misfortune, or a "glare," a purely human expression of anger, malocchio is a specific, projected venom—a spiritual poison distilled from jealousy and launched through a look. It is the cold prickle on your neck in a crowded piazza, the sudden shattering of a cherished heirloom after a neighbor’s visit, the inexplicable fever that follows a stranger’s too-long admiration of your child—a folklore of harm that gives shape to the shapeless fear that another’s happiness can be your undoing.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Italian malocchio. Doublet of maloik.
noun
- Synonym of evil eye (“cursed gaze”).
- Synonym of evil eye (“dirty look”).
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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