Buzzkill
Meaning: A person or thing that ruins the fun or dampens the mood at a social event.
A buzzkill is anything that kills the buzz — the good feeling or excitement of a party. A person can be a buzzkill by complaining, being negative, or bringing up serious topics. A situation can be a buzzkill too — the cops showing up, the music stopping, or bad news arriving. Nobody wants to be the buzzkill.
Examples
- Don't be such a buzzkill — we're trying to have fun. 别那么扫兴——我们在努力找乐子呢。No seas tan aguafiestas — estamos intentando pasarlo bien.そんなに空気壊さないでよ——楽しもうとしてるんだから。그렇게 분위기 깨지 마 — 재미있게 놀려고 하는 거잖아.
- The cops showing up was a total buzzkill. 警察来了,气氛一下全没了。Que apareciera la policía fue un corte de rollo total.警察が来たのは完全にテンション下がったわ。경찰이 온 건 완전 흥 깨는 일이었어.
- She's always the buzzkill who says we should go home early. 她总是那个说该早点回家的扫兴鬼。Siempre es ella la aguafiestas que dice que deberíamos irnos pronto a casa.彼女はいつも早く帰ろうと言い出す空気壊し係。그녀는 항상 일찍 집에 가자고 말하는 분위기 파괴자야.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: parties, social events, mood management
Tone: critical, frustrated
✓ Do Say
- Don't be a buzzkill.别当扫兴鬼。No seas aguafiestas.空気壊さないでよ。분위기 깨지 마.
- That was such a buzzkill.那件事太扫兴了。Vaya corte de rollo.あれは完全にテンション下がったわ。그건 완전 흥 깨는 거였어.
✗ Don't Say
- Sometimes the 'buzzkill' is right — if they're suggesting the group stop doing something unsafe, listen有时候'扫兴鬼'是对的——如果他们建议大家停止做危险的事,应该听他们的A veces el 'aguafiestas' tiene razón — si está sugiriendo que el grupo deje de hacer algo inseguro, hazle caso時には「バズキル」の方が正しいこともある——危険な行為をやめるよう提案しているなら、耳を傾けるべき때로는 '버즈킬'이 옳을 수도 있음 — 위험한 행동을 멈추자고 하는 거라면 들을 필요가 있음
Origin & History
American slang from the 1970s-80s, combining 'buzz' (the pleasant feeling from alcohol or excitement) with 'kill' (to destroy). A straightforward compound that perfectly describes the concept.
Cultural Context
Era: 1970s-80s onwards
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
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