What does buzzkill mean?
Buzzkill is an informal noun describing something or someone that abruptly spoils a pleasurable moment or punctures an atmosphere of excitement. It is most often applied to people whose gloomy attitude or disapproving comments drain the fun from a gathering — 'don't be such a buzzkill' is a familiar reproach among friends — but it also covers unwelcome events, such as bad news delivered mid-celebration. The word carries a playful, mildly exasperated connotation rather than serious hostility, making it a staple of casual conversation, comedy writing, and social media. It belongs to a well-populated family of slang terms for fun-spoilers, alongside 'killjoy', 'spoilsport', and 'party pooper', but what distinguishes buzzkill is its emphasis on the sudden deflation of a high-energy or euphoric mood — the metaphorical 'buzz' being cut short. Though relatively young as a term, it has spread rapidly through popular culture and is now firmly established in both American and British English.
nounA person, event, or thing that dampens or destroys an enjoyable or exciting mood; someone who spoils other people's fun.
- A person who spoils others' enjoyment or dampens an excited atmosphere.
- An event, announcement, or circumstance that abruptly ends a good mood or enjoyable situation.
"Nobody wanted to invite him to the party again after he turned out to be such a buzzkill."
"The news about the layoffs was a real buzzkill right before the holiday party."
"Don't be such a buzzkill — it's just one night out."
Standard regular plural; used when referring to multiple fun-spoiling people or events.
"Every group chat seems to have its share of buzzkills."
'Buzzkill' was born in American slang only in recent decades — yet it has so thoroughly colonized everyday speech that many people assume it's been around forever.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of buzzkill
Buzzkill is a modern American slang formation, first appearing in print only in the latter decades of the twentieth century. It combines 'buzz' — used colloquially since the early twentieth century to mean a feeling of excitement, elation, or mild intoxication — with 'kill', in the figurative sense found in older terms like 'killjoy'. The compound follows a common English pattern of pairing an emotional state with a destructive verb, much as 'buzzcut' pairs 'buzz' with 'cut'. Its rapid adoption was driven largely by film, television, and internet culture.
How buzzkill is actually used
Informal register throughout; common in American English and increasingly in British usage. Often used humorously or with mild exasperation rather than genuine hostility. Frequently intensified by modifiers like 'total', 'real', or 'such a'.
Easily confused with buzzkill
Both mean a person who spoils fun, but 'buzzkill' emphasizes the deflating effect on an excited or high-energy mood, while 'killjoy' is the older, more general term for someone who refuses to enjoy themselves.