# grinch

/ˈɡɹɪntʃ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/grinch
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. a holiday killjoy

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

someone who hates Christmas or tries to stop other people from enjoying the holiday season.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Often used with the verb 'to be' or 'to act like'.

### 2. a general grouch

noun · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

a person who is always in a bad mood and complains about other people having fun.

For teachers: 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.

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.

### 3. to ruin the fun

verb · CEFR C2 · Informal · American English

to act like a grinch or to try to stop someone else's fun.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Usually used as an intransitive verb or in the progressive form ('grinching').

## Examples

- He was the grinch of the party and ruined everyone's fun.
- The manager acted like a grinch, refusing to let the team celebrate their successful project until the last minute.
- While the rest of the office decorated for the holiday, the grinch of the department spent the entire afternoon complaining about the budget cuts.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.