as in wet blanket
a person who spoils the pleasure of others
a party pooper who insisted they turn the music down
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Recent Examples of party pooper
The biggest party poopers recently have been Croatia, another European nation who finished second and third at the World Cups in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
—
Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But in their quest to make history, the guests turned into party poopers.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
In the co-main event, Zhang Mingyang proved to be the ultimate party pooper.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Despite his literal change of heart, the Grinch continues to symbolize holiday party poopers everywhere.
—Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Mosquitoes are, in fact, hellish little bugs that take the gold for summer’s biggest party poopers.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 25 July 2024
If a particular segment goes over your head, just wait for the next one; who but the most humorless party pooper wouldn’t enjoy watching mental-health professionals diagnose comedians, including Mulaney, based on clips of their standup specials?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 10 May 2024
Michael Cox, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2025
But in their quest to make history, the guests turned into party poopers.
—The San Diego Union Tribune, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
In the co-main event, Zhang Mingyang proved to be the ultimate party pooper.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Despite his literal change of heart, the Grinch continues to symbolize holiday party poopers everywhere.
—Mike Miller, People.com, 19 Dec. 2024
Mosquitoes are, in fact, hellish little bugs that take the gold for summer’s biggest party poopers.
—Katie Camero, SELF, 25 July 2024
If a particular segment goes over your head, just wait for the next one; who but the most humorless party pooper wouldn’t enjoy watching mental-health professionals diagnose comedians, including Mulaney, based on clips of their standup specials?
—Judy Berman, TIME, 10 May 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for party pooper
Noun
-
This approach isn’t about throwing a wet blanket on the festivities of the season.—
Monitor staff,
Christian Science Monitor,
19 Dec. 2025
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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
Noun
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In a recent commentary, Marc Pinto, global head of private credit at Moody's, said funds may need to hold a larger proportion of more liquid, lower‑yielding assets to account for a growing retail presence — which could prove a drag on returns.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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The conventional wisdom had been that Cornyn would be a gimme for the GOP while Paxton and his baggage—the Republicans in the state legislature impeached him—would be a drag, especially if Talarico emerged.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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People who eat freshwater crab, prawns, frogs, snails and slugs are at greatest risk.—
Susanne Rust
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Think jumbo lump crab cakes and goat cheese queso with wild mushrooms.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Beneath the school’s football field, there are 160 bore holes, each 500 feet deep, containing pipes that harness the relatively consistent underground temperatures to regulate temperatures in the school.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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Marchand did not see the ice in OT but calmly stepped to the center dot, bore in on Korpisalo and beat him over the glove with a pretty backhander, a move Pastrnak knows well.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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March 2026 Prose's debut novel is centered around Molly Gray, a 25-year-old maid at the Regency Grand Hotel, a five-star boutique hotel, who has an obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2026
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These ajummas, these old maids, with their curly hair, were actually doing this!—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Such means of interpretation, according to a killjoy like Bellow, reduces the complexity, interiority, and negative capability of literature into the work of a cryptologist trying to crack a code, of an occultist parsing scripture for hidden meanings.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Dec. 2025
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Not surprisingly, the overwhelming response from readers told me to stop being a killjoy.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
2 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Party pooper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/party%20pooper. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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