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killjoy

noun

ˈkil-ˌjȯi How to pronounce killjoy (audio)
Definition of killjoynext
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

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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 Stay a while Another eclipse killjoy? — Maya Silver, Outside, 21 Oct. 2025 Nauseatingly innocent and a self-righteous killjoy, April seems to have existed solely for the purpose of making everyone else on Grey's Anatomy look worlds more interesting. — Marc Snetiker, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Oct. 2025 The Civil War, which is jeopardizing his presidency, has turned him into an utter killjoy. — Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for killjoy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for killjoy
  1. spoilsport
  2. cynic
  3. drag
  4. complainer
  5. bore
  6. grinch
  7. crab
Noun
  • The first thing Sweetpea does, after ditching her spoilsport colleague at the hotel, is pay a visit to SwiftGC, a payment processor recently acquired by Tender.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 Feb. 2026
  • Granted, this might simply be an old-fashioned spoilsport way to view the market.
    — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Jan. 2026
Definition of spoilsport
Noun
  • Williams led the Bears to an NFC North title and a playoff victory last season, but some cynics think the Bears are due for a regression this season.
    — Dan Santaromita, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That the earnestness the genre requires galls us cynics, who love to hide in our books, away from all those pesky bodies in the first place?
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cynic
Noun
  • After the run that Lisa couldn’t complete, Whitney tracks her down at the bottom of the mountain to officially apologize for her drunken tirade against her at that drag brunch, and against all odds, Lisa is fully ready to hear her out.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
  • There are several stores along the main drag, including the whimsical Guerneville 5&10 filled with gifts, candy, greeting cards, art supplies and more.
    — Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag
Noun
  • My ‘Deborah Vance Show senior writer’ persona was kind of a rude complainer with an incipient alcohol problem.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Are they deluded into thinking that the complainers are just a squeaky wheel minority and the majority of fans are happy with it?
    — Jeremy Rutherford, New York Times, 13 July 2026
Definition of complainer
Noun
  • Snow recently did an in-depth shoot-out of quarter-bore cartridges, new and old.
    — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Virtually all those trips involved hassle that was a bore to write about and just as boring to read.
    — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of bore
Noun
  • However, a grinch mascot, who was on cleanup duty at the event, stepped in and saved the wedding, per WTAE.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The nonprofit donated almost $200,000 to the church for the materials a grinch stole.
    — Dawn White, CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025
Definition of grinch
Noun
  • Then, the very next day, Mars will march into the courageous sign of Leo, trading the crab’s defensive and hyper-protective instincts for bold self-expression and a whole lot of swag!
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Earlier this year, more than a hundred thousand bots joined a social network, Moltbook, and, within seventy-two hours, created a religion called Crustafarianism, which came to involve the worship of crabs.
    — Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of crab

Browse Nearby Words

killing time
killjoy
killjoys
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Killjoy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/killjoy. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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