wet blanket

noun

Synonyms of wet blanketnext
: one that quenches or dampens enthusiasm or pleasure

Examples of wet blanket in a Sentence

I'd love to go to the party, but with my cold, I'm afraid I'd just be a wet blanket.
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.
Regardless, the new hard-line stance on playing time was a wet blanket tossed onto an overachieving team. Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2026 This approach isn’t about throwing a wet blanket on the festivities of the season. Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2025 Both dynamics are pretty well-worn from the first four seasons of the series, and there isn't much value to turning both Hopper and Joyce into wet blankets at this moment of ultimate crisis. Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 27 Nov. 2025 But renewables is a dirty word under the Trump administration, which has placed a wet blanket over renewable energy projects across the country. Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 17 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wet blanket

Word History

First Known Use

1844, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wet blanket was in 1844

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wet blanket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wet%20blanket. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

wet blanket

noun
: one that discourages or puts an end to enthusiasm or pleasure
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster