put a damper on

verb

To stop people from enjoying an activity.

“John told us he had lost his job, which put a damper on the celebrations.”

Similar
rain on somebody's paradeupset the applecartburst someone's bubblepiss in someone's cerealpiss in someone's Cheeriospiss in someone's cornflakespiss on someone's chipspiss on someone's bonfire
Opposite
celebratelive it upparty
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Meanings

verbput a damper on (third-person singular simple present puts a damper on, present participle putting a damper on, simple past and past participle put a damper on)

present singular third person puts a damper on · participle present putting a damper on · alternative put a dampener on

  1. idiomaticTo stop people from enjoying an activity.

    John told us he had lost his job, which put a damper on the celebrations.

    Synonyms: rain on somebody's parade, upset the applecart, burst someone's bubble, piss in someone's cereal, piss in someone's Cheerios, piss in someone's cornflakes, piss on someone's chips, piss on someone's bonfire

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo stop people from enjoying an activity.

Similar
rain on somebody's paradeupset the applecartburst someone's bubblepiss in someone's cerealpiss in someone's Cheeriospiss in someone's cornflakespiss on someone's chipspiss on someone's bonfirepiss on someone's campfirerain on someone's paradeshit in someone's cerealshit in someone's Cheeriosshit in someone's cornflakestake the wind out of someone's sailsupset the applecart
Opposite
celebratelive it upparty
Also see
burst someone's bubblepiss in someone's cornflakespiss on someone's bonfirerain on someone's parade
Cite this entry
APA

put a damper on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20a%20damper%20on

MLA

“put a damper on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20a%20damper%20on. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put a damper on,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20a%20damper%20on.

Source: put a damper on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.