pours cold water on
Kills the mood
To pour cold water on something is to discourage or dampen enthusiasm for it, suggesting the idea isn't as good as someone thinks: She poured cold water on his plan to quit and travel.
The metaphor evokes extinguishing a fire—killing the heat of excitement with skepticism or practical objections.
- rain on someone's paradeSpoil another's excitement
- dissuadeConvince not to
- nip in the budStop at the start
- disappointmentSadness from unmet expectations
- shoot downattack from below
throw a wrench in · undermine · oppose · critique · warn · skepticism · put a damper on · doubt · caution · discouragement · burst someone's bubble · pessimism · bring down · disparage · rebuke · voice of doom · reject · refute