Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History

Literary notes about killjoy (AI summary)

In literature, "killjoy" has been employed as a metaphor to denote any force that dampens or stifles the exuberance of life. For example, in Guy de Maupassant’s work, the term is ingeniously used to personify the fear of death, suggesting that this very fear acts as the ultimate spoilsport, curtailing our earthly pleasures by depriving us of the freedom to revel in life [1]. This usage illustrates how literary figures transform the word beyond its literal sense into a symbolic representation of the psychological or existential impediments that hinder genuine enjoyment.
  1. “Mon Dieu, they enjoy themselves because they have not that fear of death which is the great killjoy in all our earthly pleasures.”
    — from Complete Original Short Stories of Guy De Maupassant by Guy de Maupassant

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Compound Your Joy