jones

1 of 2

verb

ˈjōnz

jonesed; jonesing; joneses

Synonyms of jones

intransitive verb

slang

: to have a strong desire or craving for something

he was jonesing for a drink

jones

2 of 2

noun

slang : an avid desire or appetite for something : craving

slang : habit, addiction

especially : addiction to heroin

slang : heroin

Examples of jones in a Sentence

Verb I'm really jonesing for a cup of coffee right now Noun that dude had a jones for heroin like you wouldn't believe I have a real jones for a milk shake.

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

But who among us is not jonesing to skip town and ride the rails, hoping the light at the end of the tunnel is not an oncoming train? —James Poniewozik, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2020

For those jonesing for their Orange Is the New Black fix, help has arrived. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Oct. 2019 Somehow, even the misty-eyed writers of Hallmark cards seem to have missed the beautiful and romantic literary potential of two married adults having extramarital affairs and jonesing to ditch their spouses and kids in order to be together. —Ask Amy, al, 29 May 2019 Spring is barely here, and yet, people are already jonesing for summer, and with it, beach season. —Taylor Mead, House Beautiful, 15 Apr. 2019 Tesla owners have been jonesing for this update for years, though the company describes the feature as a beta version. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 6 Nov. 2018 Any of these four jackets could save your skin Spring has me jonesing to get outside in warm weather again. —Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 25 Apr. 2018 The Giants aren’t the only team that might be jonesing for Belichick. —Peter King, SI.com, 5 Jan. 2018 Trump never stops jonesing for likes and retweets on Twitter as in life. —Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 7 June 2017

Noun

The beltway media world has always had a sort of jones for celebrities, and celebrities have often loved them right back, a mutual appreciation society that reached its apogee during the correspondents’ dinners of the Obama years. —New York Times, 1 May 2022 Kesha is indulging her jones for all things paranormal and unexplained in the upcoming discovery+ series Conjuring Kesha. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2021 That Jason Momoa has a jones for jeans should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. —Adam Tschorn, latimes.com, 5 June 2019

Word History

Etymology

Verb

derivative of jones entry 2

Noun

of uncertain origin

Note: Presumably from the surname Jones, though the reason for the allusion, if there is any, is apparently unknown. The final s is comparable to the pseudo-plural s of diseases (measles, shingles) and unpleasant or uncontrollable conditions (hots, jitters, yips).

First Known Use

Verb

1981, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1962, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of jones was circa 1962

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Words

Jonathan spot

jones

Jones

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Jones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jones. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

Copy Citation

Biographical Definition

Jones 1 of 5

biographical name (1)

ˈjōnz

Anson 1798–1858 president of the Republic of Texas (1844–46)

Jones

2 of 5

biographical name (2)

Howard Mumford 1892–1980 American educator and critic

Jones

3 of 5

biographical name (3)

In*i*go ˈi-ni-ˌgō 1573–1652 English architect

Jones

4 of 5

biographical name (4)

John Paul 1747–1792 originally in full John Paul American (Scottish-born) naval officer

Jones

5 of 5

biographical name (5)

Quincy 1933–2024 American composer, bandleader, and producer

jones

verb

noun

Synonyms

Examples of jones in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Biographical Definition

biographical name (1)

biographical name (2)

biographical name (3)

biographical name (4)

biographical name (5)

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

quark

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Popular in Wordplay

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Popular Features

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

Games & Quizzes

jones

verb

noun

Synonyms

Examples of jones in a Sentence

Word History

Rhymes for jones

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Share

Biographical Definition

biographical name (1)

biographical name (2)

biographical name (3)

biographical name (4)

biographical name (5)

More from Merriam-Webster

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

quark

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Popular in Wordplay

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

Popular Features

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

13 Unusually Long English Words

9 Superb Owl Words

Games & Quizzes