party animal

What it means

A party animal is someone who genuinely loves parties, nightlife, and social gatherings, and seems to have endless energy for them. The phrase is usually playful and admiring, used about friends who organize the night out, stay until the end, and turn ordinary evenings into events.

Examples

• Back in college, he was a total party animal.
• She's a quiet party animal — calm at work, wild on weekends.
• Our team has a few real party animals at every conference.
• Don't expect me to keep up; I'm not the party animal I used to be.

Where it comes from

American slang from the late 1970s and early 1980s, popularized by college and frat culture and amplified by films and TV of that era. The word 'animal' here exaggerates the person's untamed enthusiasm for socializing.

Related idioms