killjoy
UK[ˈkɪldʒɔɪ]US[ˈkɪlˌdʒɔɪ]
n
a person who spoils the enjoyment of others by being negative, gloomy, or overly disapproving.
Morpheme Breakdown
kill
joy
kill
to cause death
joy
pleasure, happiness
Etymology
The word 'killjoy' is a transparent compound formed within English from the native verb 'kill' and the noun 'joy', borrowed into English via French from Latin. It is a figurative construction, where 'kill' does not refer to physical murder but to the metaphorical destruction or suppression of enjoyment. The logic is vividly literal: a person who 'kills joy' by dampening spirits or enforcing prohibitions on fun. This pejorative term, emerging in the 18th century, exemplifies how English creates expressive, conceptually clear nouns by combining an action with its target.
Analysis
Structure: kill (to cause death) + joy (pleasure, happiness)
- kill: From Middle English killen, cüllen, likely of Germanic origin, related to Old English cwellan (to kill). In this compound, it functions as a verb root meaning "to destroy or end."
- joy: From Middle English joye, from Old French joie, from Latin gaudia, plural of gaudium (joy), from the verb gaudēre (to rejoice). In this compound, it functions as a noun root representing the object being destroyed.
Examples
Don't be such a killjoy—let the children stay up a little later for the party.
He was labeled the office killjoy for constantly reminding everyone about the budget during the celebration planning.
Some see safety regulations as necessary, while others dismiss them as the rules of killjoys.