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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of killjoy
Without being a complete spoiler-lobbing killjoy, this is a story heavily marinated in trauma, with an emphasis on two parties’ checkered past in particular.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for killjoy
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for killjoy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killjoy
Noun
-
No one likes a spoilsport, apparently.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
-
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
Noun
-
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
-
The method can provide aerodynamic drag data more efficiently during the early stages of aircraft design.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
One of my dear friends is Privilege, a drag artist in Brooklyn.—
Joe Lynch,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The faculty experience has been that administrations often side with the complainers.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Recognize Quieter Customers Celebrate the non-complainers.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The result was a hybrid that survived fungal inoculation and bore nuts around 1962.—
Eric J. Wallace,
Outside,
24 Oct. 2025
-
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
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
-
At just below 60 feet, Dickie’s Reef is a haven for barracuda, parrotfish, butterfly fish, crab and lobsters.—
Adrienne Jordan,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Antipasti, insalata, and fritti follows, with dishes like lobster polpette fra diavolo, capellini crab AOP, and the new Mario’s Famous di Mare Salad.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Killjoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killjoy. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share