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
Montana, the Badgers’ opening-round foe, Big Sky champs and perennial Greeley killjoys, are already used to running around at altitude.
—
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for killjoy
Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 19 Mar. 2025
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
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
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On the other hand, skeptics and cynics tend to be insistent right now that the clean-up activity is not going to last very long.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
-
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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The wing on the back of the GTD is active, flipping up at speed, just like the drag reduction system (DRS) on a Formula 1 car.—
Tim Stevens,
Robb Report,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The foundation’s analysis attributes the acceleration to a combination of deficit spending, rising interest costs, and the economic drag of the ongoing government shutdown.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
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Recognize Quieter Customers Celebrate the non-complainers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Experts said the Louvre robbery bore many of the hallmarks of these crimes, including getting away on motorbikes, entering the property in broad daylight and using brute force.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
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Meanwhile, Palestinian doctors said some of the roughly 120 bodies Israel has returned to Gaza bore signs of torture or execution, and most had bands on their necks, the Associated Press reported.—
Sophie Carson,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tired of looking like the grinch (can't help the hair).—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
27 Feb. 2025
-
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
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Key West native Mario Palazon of FreshCo Fish Market & Grill in Kendall, who has been in the seafood wholesale business for more than 20 years, says that his suppliers have been catching a record number of crabs.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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To accommodate the crabs' safe journey to the sea, Christmas Island residents typically keep rakes and leaf blowers in their cars to help the crustaceans on their way, the outlet reported.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
22 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Killjoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killjoy. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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