Learn English – word for someone who is a killjoy yet also “The voice of caution?”

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I am trying to find a word/phrase that describes someone who performs a "reality check" every time people suffer from misconceptions or over-exuberance. He/she is the "voice of caution" that prevents "fools from rushing in." A sage with a sobering influence.

What I'm looking for could be an eponymous adjective such as panglossian (though obviously panglossian is nearly an antonym for what I actually want). It could be a noun – such as Cassandra – if such a character personified the above traits. Any idiomatic expression or slang that might also fit the above criteria would also help.

The closest I have gotten so far: pessimist, skeptic, realist.

I want to use the word/phrase in a sentence such as:
"I hate to be a realist/prophet of doom/Cassandra/killjoy, but there is no way we can hit these goals in just a week!"

Best Answer

I think Devil's Advocate fits in certain scenarios. A Devil's Advocate is

a person who advocates an opposing or unpopular cause for the sake of argument or to expose it to a thorough examination.

In your case, the devil's advocate might point out possible problems with the plans of the group, and if those points prevent the group from doing what they were planning, that person could be seen as a kill-joy.

Example:

Person 1: "We should go cliff jumping!"

Person 2: "That sounds great!"

Devil's Advocate: "Just to play Devil's Advocate, we are predicted to have thunderstorms later, so cliff jumping may be a bad idea. Also, didn't you break your arm doing that last year?"

Person 1: "I guess you're right, why do you always have to ruin our fun ideas?"

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