Word
grinch
/ˈɡɹɪntʃ/
Definitions
01a holiday killjoy
n. someone who hates Christmas or tries to stop other people from enjoying the holiday season.
n. a person who is aggressively opposed to Christmas festivities or who attempts to ruin the holiday spirit for others.
“Don't be such a grinch; come to the office party and have some cake.”
“The local council was accused of being a grinch after they decided to cancel the annual tree-lighting ceremony due to budget cuts.”
Informal
Usage
Often used with the verb 'to be' or 'to act like'.
Synonyms
02a general grouch
n. a person who is always in a bad mood and complains about other people having fun.
n. a person who habitually spoils the pleasure of others; a general grouch or killjoy regardless of the season.
“He is a total grinch who complains whenever the neighbors play music.”
“Even outside the holiday season, his coworkers regarded him as a bit of a grinch because of his constant complaints about office celebrations.”
Informal · American English
Teaching tip
While originally about Christmas, this is now used for anyone who ruins a good mood, though the holiday connection remains the strongest association.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to ruin the fun
v. to act like a grinch or to try to stop someone else's fun.
v. to behave in a grouchy or spoilsport manner; to actively discourage or ruin the enjoyment of an event.
“Stop grinching and just enjoy the movie with us.”
“She spent the entire weekend grinching about the weather instead of enjoying the trip.”
Informal · American English
Usage
Usually used as an intransitive verb or in the progressive form ('grinching').
Antonyms
Etymology
Named after the main character in a children's book by Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1957). Coined as early as 1953, the term was initially used for a fictitious bird named the "Beagle-Beaked-Bald-Headed Grinch" in Scrambled Eggs Super!; it became associated with the character in a poem published in the May 1955 issue of Redbook, "The Hoobub and the Grinch". Likely a corruption of grouch.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The word in film
The Grinch · 2018 · Comedy
- Directed by:
- Yarrow Cheney
In this animated comedy directed by Yarrow Cheney, a bitter green creature plans to steal Christmas from the happy residents of Whoville. The title describes his unpleasant personality and his desire to ruin the holiday celebrations for everyone else.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/grinch