🇨🇳Chinese Source WordCode: ZH

扫兴的人

Pronunciation / Transliteration: sǎo xìng de rén

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Killjoy/ˈkɪl.dʒɔɪ/
nounadjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #14500 frequency
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🇨🇳 Example Sentence in Chinese:

"别当扫兴的人,大家正玩得高兴呢。"

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    A person who spoils the pleasure, fun, or enjoyment of others.

    "He hated to be a killjoy, but he had to remind everyone that the library was supposed to be quiet."
As adjective
  1. 1

    Having a depressing or dampening effect on festivities or enjoyment.

    "Her killjoy attitude managed to turn a lively celebration into a stiff, uncomfortable gathering."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The word originated in the mid-18th century as a compound of the verb 'kill' and the noun 'joy', reflecting an older English construction style for descriptive agents. Historically, it was used in literature to describe a person whose solemnity or strict adherence to rules dampens the festive or cheerful spirits of those around them. Over time, the spelling has frequently appeared hyphenated as 'kill-joy', though the unhyphenated form has become increasingly standard in modern lexicography.

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