specter at the feast
Joy's grim intruder
A specter at the feast is a person or thing whose presence casts gloom over an otherwise happy occasion.
The phrase evokes a ghost appearing uninvited at a celebration, impossible to ignore.
Someone might be the specter at the feast by raising uncomfortable truths or simply by reminding others of death, failure, or loss: Nobody wanted to mention the layoffs—it was the specter at the feast.
- hauntTrouble persistently, as spirits
- deathCessation of life
- apparitionVisible supernatural manifestation
- ghostApparition of the dead
- interruptionBreak in continuity
elephant in the room · memento mori · mortality · phantom · guilt · confrontation · Banquo · banquet · uninvited guest · party crasher · regret · curse · omen · resentment · harbinger · bad omen · melancholy · tension
specter at the feastlife of the party
Most entertaining guest
guest of honor · belle of the ball · toast of the town · center of attention · star attraction
specter at the feastray of sunshine
Incurably upbeat person
bundle of joy · good omen · lucky charm · blessing in disguise · comic relief
specter, spectre, spectral, specters, spectres, feast, feasts, feasted, feasting