eightball
Medium-LowInformal, Colloquial
Definition
Meaning
A black pool ball numbered eight, which players aim to pocket last to win the game.
1. A person considered to be a source of bad luck or misfortune. 2. A position of disadvantage or difficulty.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core meaning is specific to the game of pool. The extended meaning "person who brings bad luck" stems from the idiom "behind the eightball."
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The core pool term is identical. The idiom "behind the eightball" and the derived sense of "jinx" are more common in American English.
Connotations
In both varieties, the core term is neutral. The extended meanings carry negative connotations (jinx, disadvantage).
Frequency
More frequent in AmE, especially the idiomatic usage. In BrE, the pool term is common, while the idiom is recognized but less frequently used.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to be behind the eightballto sink the eightballto feel like an eightballVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “behind the eightball (in a difficult position)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"After the supply chain broke down, we were really behind the eightball."
Academic
Rare; might appear in sociological studies of gaming or cultural references.
Everyday
"Don't ask him to help, he's a total eightball—everything he touches goes wrong."
Technical
Used specifically in the rules and commentary of pool (e.g., "He pocketed the eightball to win the match.").
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He was eightballed by a series of unfortunate events.
- She felt the project had been eightballed from the start.
American English
- They totally eightballed us with that last-minute rule change.
- Don't let him near it, he'll eightball the whole deal.
adverb
British English
- The plan went eightball almost immediately.
- Everything started going eightball after the merger.
American English
- The day proceeded eightball, one problem after another.
- It all turned out eightball, just as I feared.
adjective
British English
- It was an eightball situation from the moment we signed.
- He has an eightball reputation in the office.
American English
- We're in an eightball position with the regulators.
- That's just eightball luck, I tell you.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The black ball in pool is called the eightball.
- He won the game by hitting the eightball into the hole.
- In pool, you must not hit the eightball first.
- She felt behind the eightball when she lost her notes before the exam.
- The new regulations put the entire industry behind the eightball.
- Ever since he joined the team, it's been one disaster after another—he's a real eightball.
- The company's refusal to adapt to digital trends left it perpetually behind the eightball in a rapidly evolving market.
- He was colloquially regarded as the project's eightball, a jinx whose involvement seemed to predestine failure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine the number 8 looks like two stacked balls. The black one is the last target, putting you 'behind' it if you're in trouble.
Conceptual Metaphor
DIFFICULTY IS BEING TRAPPED BEHIND AN OBJECT; BAD LUCK IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (a ball) ONE CARRIES.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'восьмой шар'. For the idiom 'behind the eightball', a conceptual equivalent like 'в безвыходном положении' or 'в трудной ситуации' is needed.
- The term for the person ('jinx') should not be confused with 'бильярдный шар' which is just the object.
Common Mistakes
- Writing as '8-ball' or 'eight-ball' in formal contexts (though '8-ball' is common informally).
- Using 'eightball' to mean any pool ball (it's specifically the black ball numbered 8).
Practice
Quiz
What does it mean to say someone 'is an eightball'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In modern dictionaries, it is often listed as a closed compound ('eightball'). However, the hyphenated form 'eight-ball' and the numerical '8-ball' are very common, especially in informal contexts and when referring specifically to the pool ball.
Almost never. Its core meaning in pool is neutral, but all its extended metaphorical uses (disadvantage, jinx) are negative.
It originates from the game of Kelly pool or a similar rotation game, where if the cue ball is positioned behind the eightball, a player's shot is severely obstructed, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
No, it is highly informal and non-standard. It is a creative, metaphorical extension of the noun, primarily used in very colloquial speech, particularly in American English.