ノリが悪い

• Reading: ノリがわるい
• Romaji: nori ga warui
• Kanji breakdown: ノリ (vibe/energy from 乗り) + が (subject particle) + 悪い (bad) → having bad energy, being a buzzkill
• Pronunciation: /no.ɾi ɡa wa.ɾɯ.i/

Meaning

Being a buzzkill, killjoy, or party pooper — not going along with the group's energy or mood.

ノリが悪い is the negative counterpart to ノリがいい (having good energy). Someone who is ノリが悪い dampens the mood by refusing to participate, showing no enthusiasm, or being too serious when everyone else is having fun. While it can be a genuine criticism in group-oriented Japanese culture, it also raises questions about social pressure — sometimes the 'buzzkill' simply does not want to be forced into participating.

Examples

1. カラオケ誘っても毎回断るしノリが悪いよね。 Every time we invite them to karaoke they turn us down — what a buzzkill.
2. ノリが悪いって言われるの嫌だけど興味ないものは興味ない。 I hate being called a killjoy, but if I'm not interested, I'm not interested.
3. 飲み会でノリが悪いと浮くから無理してテンション上げてる。 If you're a downer at the drinking party you'll stick out, so I force myself to amp up the energy.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social gatherings, parties, workplace casual

Tone: critical, complaining, pressuring

Do Say

• ノリが悪いとは言わないけど、もうちょっと楽しもうよ。 (I won't say you're a buzzkill, but let's try to have a bit more fun.)
• 今日はノリが悪くてごめん、ちょっと疲れてて。 (Sorry for being a downer today — I'm a bit tired.)

Don't Say

• 飲みたくない人に「ノリ悪いな」は同調圧力 (Telling someone who doesn't want to drink 'you're a buzzkill' is peer pressure)

Common Mistakes

• Using ノリが悪い only as criticism — it can also be used self-deprecatingly to apologise for not being more enthusiastic

Origin & History

Compound of ノリ (nori, vibe/energy, from 乗り) + が (subject particle) + 悪い (warui, bad). A natural Japanese construction that has been used since ノリ entered mainstream slang in the 1980s-90s.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s-90s, tied to ノリ entering mainstream slang

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Touches on the tension between group harmony (和) and individual preference in Japanese social dynamics.