to grinch
8.9
To spoil other people's fun by being negative or not joining celebrations
- verb
- /ɡrɪntʃ/
- Informal
- By refusing to join the festivities, he grinched what could have been a fun evening.
Examples
-
He Grinched.
-
She didn't want to celebrate her birthday, which really grinched the party atmosphere for everyone else.
-
His constant complaints about the movie grinched the joy of watching it with friends.
Synonyms
8.8
To act mean and spoil other people's fun at parties
stops others enjoying events by being negative or refusing to join
Antonyms
Idioms
How Spoiling
Surface Forms
Etymology
Grinch as a verb comes from the same Dr. Seuss character; to grinch someone is to act like the Grinch and 'spoil' their enjoyment by being negative or stopping the fun.