---
title: killjoy — school dictionary · trees and pragmatics
description: «killjoy» in the school dictionary: A killjoy is a person who spoils other people's fun, often by being grumpy or too strict. Every meaning for a pupil with its dependency tree and pragmatics.
---

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# killjoy

<!-- .vintro -->
**Who acts:** killjoy, person, you, brother, I, He · **What happens:** be, spoil, do, not be, come, play · **To what, where:** person, other people, killjoy, me, bedtime, music · **Speech:** someone speaks here

<!-- .vabout -->
«killjoy» in the school dictionary: its meaning for a pupil and its 6 examples, every sentence parsed by Mova itself — its syntax tree, a dependency tree in the style of Universal Dependencies, and its pragmatics clause by clause. The word in the dictionary, with its sense in the lessons: [killjoy in the school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/killjoy.md).

## Meaning 1 {#m1}

<!-- .note -->
Usage: informal — kept apart, not parsed.

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
A killjoy is a person who spoils other people's fun, often by being grumpy or too strict.

<!-- fold The tree, 18 words -->
```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:m1:1
# text = A killjoy is a person who spoils other people's fun, often by being grumpy or too strict.
1	A	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	nsubj	_	_
3	is	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	person	person	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
6	who	who	PRON	WP	PronType=Rel	7	nsubj	_	_
7	spoils	spoil	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	acl:relcl	_	_
8	other	other	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	9	amod	_	_
9	people	people	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	7	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	's	's	PART	POS	_	9	case	_	_
11	fun	fun	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
12	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	16	punct	_	_
13	often	often	ADV	RB	_	16	advmod	_	_
14	by	by	ADP	IN	_	16	case	_	_
15	being	be	AUX	VBG	Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Part	16	cop	_	_
16	grumpy	grumpy	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	7	conj	_	_
17	or	or	CCONJ	CC	_	19	cc	_	_
18	too	too	ADV	RB	_	19	advmod	_	_
19	strict	strict	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	16	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
20	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | present | a killjoy | a person |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **spoil** | present | a person | other people |  |  |  | fun *property* | tree rules |
| 3 | **is** | gerund | a person *not said here* |  |  |  |  | grumpy, often *property* | tree rules |
| 4 | **be** |  | a person *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

<!-- .note -->
One row per clause the reader finds. «not said here»: a role filled from the clause above. «roles by»: a VerbNet class and frame when one fits the verb, else the reader's rules on the tree.

## Example 1 {#x1}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Don't be a killjoy, come and play!

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x1:1
# text = Don't be a killjoy, come and play!
1	Do	do	VERB	VB	Mood=Imp|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	n't	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
3	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	cop	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	1	obj	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	7	punct	_	_
7	come	come	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	1	parataxis	_	_
8	and	and	CCONJ	CC	_	9	cc	_	_
9	play	play	VERB	VB	VerbForm=Inf	7	conj	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	!	!	PUNCT	.	_	1	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **do** | imperative | you *not said here* |  |  |  |  |  | vn act-114-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |
| 2 | **not** **is a** | infinitive |  | a killjoy |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 3 | **come** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn escape-51.1-1 «NP V»: agent=Theme |
| 4 | **play** | infinitive |  |  |  |  |  |  | vn performance-26.7-1 «NP V»: agent=Agent |

## Example 2 {#x2}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
My brother called me a killjoy when I said it was bedtime.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x2:1
# text = My brother called me a killjoy when I said it was bedtime.
1	My	my	PRON	PRP$	Case=Gen|Number=Sing|Person=1|Poss=Yes|PronType=Prs	2	nmod:poss	_	_
2	brother	brother	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	called	call	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	me	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Acc|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	3	obj	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	xcomp	_	_
7	when	when	ADV	WRB	PronType=Int	9	advmod	_	_
8	I	I	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Number=Sing|Person=1|PronType=Prs	9	nsubj	_	_
9	said	say	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=1|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	3	advcl	_	_
10	it	it	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Neut|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	12	nsubj	_	_
11	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	12	cop	_	_
12	bedtime	bedtime	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	ccomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **call** | past | My brother |  | me |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V NP.recipient»: agent=Agent i=Recipient |
| 2 | **say** *speech: assert* | past | I |  |  |  |  |  | vn say-37.7-1-1 «NP V that S»: agent=Agent |
| 3 | **is a** | past | killjoy | bedtime |  |  |  |  | tree rules |

## Example 3 {#x3}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The killjoy turned the music off.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x3:1
# text = The killjoy turned the music off.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	2	det	_	_
2	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	nsubj	_	_
3	turned	turn	VERB	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
4	the	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	music	music	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	3	obj	_	_
6	off	off	ADP	RP	_	3	compound:prt	_	SpaceAfter=No
7	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	3	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **turn off** | past | the killjoy | the music |  |  |  |  | vn other\_cos-45.4 «NP V NP.patient»: agent=Agent music=Patient |

## Example 4 {#x4}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
He's not a killjoy, he's just worried about safety.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x4:1
# text = He's not a killjoy, he's just worried about safety.
1	He	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	5	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
2	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	5	cop	_	_
3	not	not	PART	RB	Polarity=Neg	5	advmod	_	_
4	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	5	det	_	_
5	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	SpaceAfter=No
6	,	,	PUNCT	,	_	10	punct	_	_
7	he	he	PRON	PRP	Case=Nom|Gender=Masc|Number=Sing|Person=3|PronType=Prs	10	nsubj	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	's	be	AUX	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	10	cop	_	_
9	just	just	ADV	RB	_	10	advmod	_	_
10	worried	worried	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	5	parataxis	_	_
11	about	about	ADP	IN	_	12	case	_	_
12	safety	safety	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	10	obl	_	SpaceAfter=No
13	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	5	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **not** **is a** | present | He | a killjoy |  |  |  |  | tree rules |
| 2 | **is** | present | he |  |  |  |  | about safety; worried *property* | tree rules |

## Example 5 {#x5}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
The old caretaker was a killjoy about ball games.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x5:1
# text = The old caretaker was a killjoy about ball games.
1	The	the	DET	DT	Definite=Def|PronType=Art	3	det	_	_
2	old	old	ADJ	JJ	Degree=Pos	3	amod	_	_
3	caretaker	caretaker	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	6	nsubj	_	_
4	was	be	AUX	VBD	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Past|VerbForm=Fin	6	cop	_	_
5	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	6	det	_	_
6	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	0	root	_	_
7	about	about	ADP	IN	_	9	case	_	_
8	ball	ball	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	9	compound	_	_
9	games	game	NOUN	NNS	Number=Plur	6	nmod	_	SpaceAfter=No
10	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	6	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **is a** | past | the old caretaker | a killjoy |  |  |  | about ball games | tree rules |

## Example 6 {#x6}

<!-- .ven lang=en -->
Nobody likes to be called a killjoy.

```conllu
# sent_id = dict:school:killjoy:x6:1
# text = Nobody likes to be called a killjoy.
1	Nobody	nobody	PRON	NN	Number=Sing|PronType=Neg	2	nsubj	_	_
2	likes	like	VERB	VBZ	Mood=Ind|Number=Sing|Person=3|Tense=Pres|VerbForm=Fin	0	root	_	_
3	to	to	PART	TO	_	5	mark	_	_
4	be	be	AUX	VB	VerbForm=Inf	5	aux:pass	_	_
5	called	call	VERB	VBN	Tense=Past|VerbForm=Part|Voice=Pass	2	xcomp	_	_
6	a	a	DET	DT	Definite=Ind|PronType=Art	7	det	_	_
7	killjoy	killjoy	NOUN	NN	Number=Sing	5	xcomp	_	SpaceAfter=No
8	.	.	PUNCT	.	_	2	punct	_	_
```

<!-- .fr -->
| # | verb | tense, mood | who | what, whom | to whom | where | when | other | roles by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **like** | present | Nobody |  |  |  |  |  | vn want-32.1-1-1 «NP V NP S\_INF»: agent=Pivot clause=Theme |
| 2 | **call** *not said to happen* | to-infinitive · passive | Nobody *not said here* | a killjoy |  |  |  |  | vn initiate\_communication-37.4.2-1 «NP V» |

<!-- div src -->

**Text:** the school dictionary of Mova's schools (`world/data/dictionary-schools/`), written for Mova. **Trees:** Mova's own parse — the `en` model on the CPU, when the site is built — not checked by a teacher; they may be wrong. **Frames:** Mova's frames reader (`prag`), each meaning and example read on its own. Elamur Cosmic License.

<!-- /div -->

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