hex

1 of 5

verb

ˈheks How to pronounce hex (audio)
hexed; hexing; hexes
Synonyms of hexnext

intransitive verb

: to practice witchcraft

transitive verb

1
: to put a hex on
2
: to affect as if by an evil spell : jinx
hexer noun

hex

2 of 5

noun

1
: a person who practices witchcraft
2
: spell, jinx

hex

3 of 5

adjective

: hexagonal
a bolt with a hex head

hex

4 of 5

adjective or noun

: hexadecimal

hex

5 of 5

abbreviation

hexagon

Synonyms

Verb

Noun

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of hex in a Sentence

Verb I think our plans have been hexed from the start—everything is going wrong. Noun He claimed that a witch had put a hex on him. people who used to believe that misfortune was caused by evil hexes and mischievous sprites
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Four years later, her second album, hexed!, casts the previous record’s themes in a flickering, fluorescent, boldly unflattering new light. — Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2025 Witches on TikTok and Instagram similarly hexed Trump and his supporters in the wake of the January 6, 2021 insurrection. — Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
Vintage terra-cotta hex tiles from Clé Tile ground the room in rustic texture, while Heather Taylor Home café curtains add a touch of homespun charm to the sunlit window. — Kristen Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 31 Mar. 2025 India are now looking to break a hex in the 50-over format having agonizingly fallen shot at their home World Cup in 2023 when 100,000 fans in Ahmedabad were left stunned by a rampaging Australia. — Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
This made no sense—our last (pre-hex) texts were about where to go to dinner that night. — Katie O’Hanlon, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2022 Even if your slot- or hex-head base and ring screws are not damaged, consider replacing them with torx screws. — David E. Petzal, Field & Stream, 29 July 2020
Adjective or noun
This made no sense—our last (pre-hex) texts were about where to go to dinner that night. — Katie O’Hanlon, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2022 Even if your slot- or hex-head base and ring screws are not damaged, consider replacing them with torx screws. — David E. Petzal, Field & Stream, 29 July 2020 See All Example Sentences for hex

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Pennsylvania German hexe, from German hexen, from Hexe witch, from Old High German hagzissa; akin to Middle English hagge hag

First Known Use

Verb

1830, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1924, in the meaning defined above

Adjective Or Noun

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hex was in 1830

Rhymes for hex

See All Rhymes for hex

Browse Nearby Words

hew to
hex
hexa-
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hex. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

hex

1 of 3 verb
ˈheks How to pronounce hex (audio)
1
: to put a hex on
2
: to affect as if by an evil spell : jinx
hexer noun

hex

2 of 3 noun
1
: spell entry 1 sense 1b, jinx
2
: witch sense 1

hex

3 of 3 adjective or noun
: hexadecimal

More from Merriam-Webster on hex

Nglish: Translation of hex for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
kestrel
Name That Bird Quiz Are you as wise as an owl or just another birdbrain?
See All