as in spoilsport
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
his perpetually negative attitude made him a real killjoy when others were trying to have fun
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of killjoy
Within the dog-button community, Horowitz is regarded as a killjoy.
—
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Esther is the original feminist killjoy — acerbic, brilliant, obsessive, confrontational, deeply relatable.
—Jillian Eugenios, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films.
—Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
That’s when a try-hard, killjoy Kansas senator, Bob Dole, convinced congressional colleagues to get serious about taxing tipped workers.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for killjoy
Camille Bromley Gabra Zackman Krish Seenivasan David Mason, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2025
Esther is the original feminist killjoy — acerbic, brilliant, obsessive, confrontational, deeply relatable.
—Jillian Eugenios, NBC News, 29 Dec. 2024
Believe it or not, between sipping delicious eggnog and hot cocoa and enjoying the joy of Yuletide with family and friends, there are still naughty killjoys afoot during Christmastime — the worst of which appear in some of the best holiday films.
—Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
That’s when a try-hard, killjoy Kansas senator, Bob Dole, convinced congressional colleagues to get serious about taxing tipped workers.
—Joseph Thorndike, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
See All Example Sentences for killjoy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killjoy
Noun
-
Inevitably, violence erupts, both spontaneously, when a drug deal goes sour, and by design, when a spoilsport has to be eliminated.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The spoilsports need to get back to their home state and do the job which their constituents elected them to do.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Put the kibosh on quiet cracking, those cynics insist.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Travis Kelce knows what the cynics might think of his relationship with Taylor Swift — two of the most famous people in America just happen to match up perfectly?—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Director Tina Romero, the daughter of the father of zombie movies, George Romero, delivers a campy horror-comedy about what happens when an undead outbreak occurs at a drag club party in Brooklyn, as seen in Entertainment Weekly's exclusive trailer reveal.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Sep. 2025
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Every unnecessary step—every manual booking, approval email or post-trip reimbursement—adds operational drag.—
Amiad Solomon,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Recognize Quieter Customers Celebrate the non-complainers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The theory went viral on X, as 4chan pointed users to photos of Valadez that bore perceived similarities to surveillance footage of the suspect fleeing the scene released by the FBI amid the manhunt.—
Emily Hallas,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Anyone who thinks English Heritage sites are run by bores is in for a surprise.—
Jordan Hoffman,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Tired of looking like the grinch (can't help the hair).—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
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The Pompano Beach, Fla. doesn’t play grinch alone; Veeze, Lil Yachty, Rob49, Juvenile, and B.G. also appear on the project.—
Preezy Brown,
VIBE.com,
27 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Warm water may push adult crabs deeper as well.—
Bill Kearney,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
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Exposure to specific proteins found in crustaceans, including shrimp, crab, and lobster—as well as mollusks such as clams, oysters, and mussels—can negatively impact the immune system.—
Nick Mordowanec,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Killjoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killjoy. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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