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/Sounds like "MAHL" (as in "mark") + "DEH" (as in "debt") + "OH" (as in "oh") + "hoh" (as in "hope")/

Meaning

A folk belief that someone's envious gaze can cause illness, especially in babies and children. It's deeply rooted in Latin American culture, and many families use amulets and rituals to protect against it.

Examples

Put a red bracelet on the baby so nobody gives him the evil eye.

My grandma says I got the evil eye because I got sick out of nowhere.

Word family
Regional synonyms

To catch someone completely off guard with a question, situation, or action they weren't expecting at all. It's that moment when you're blindsided and have zero time to prepare a response.