buzzkill

Or buzz kill

[buhz-kil]

noun

Slang.

1. a person or thing that spoils the mood or the pleasure of others.

   Enforcement of strict park rules could be a buzzkill for concertgoers.

buzzkill

/ ˈbʌzˌkɪlə, ˈbʌzˌkɪl /

noun

1. slang,  someone or something that stops people from enjoying themselves

Word History and Origins

Origin of buzzkill¹

First recorded in 1990–95; buzz ( def. ) (in the sense “feeling of excitement”) + kill ¹ ( def. ) (in the sense “to spoil”)

Example Sentences

It’s a buzzkill to see the military arrive a few minutes into the movie and shut the bash down.

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“Sometimes it can be a bit of a buzzkill,” said Eric May, a 36-year-old in Columbus, Ohio, who works at a financial-technology company.

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He calls it The Dean Wormer effect, named for the buzzkill college official who is dead set on getting in the way of the Delta Tau Chi House’s good time.

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The biggest buzzkill when planning a big vacation?

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Empty seats aren’t just a game day buzzkill given their correlation to lost revenue.

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