despoil
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has despoiledperfect 3rd person singular
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have despoiledperfect
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have been despoilingperfect progressive
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am despoilingprogressive 1st person singular
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despoilssingular 3rd person
-
despoilingparticiple
-
is despoilingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been despoilingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
are despoilingprogressive
Past
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had despoiledperfect
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was despoilingprogressive singular
-
despoiledsimple
-
despoiledparticiple
-
had been despoilingperfect progressive
-
were despoilingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of despoil
1175–1225; Middle English despoilen < Old French despoillier < Latin dēspoliāre to strip, rob, plunder, equivalent to dē- de- + spoliāre to plunder; see spoil
Explanation
Despoil is to spoil, only worse. You may spoil a dinner party by being late, but we all despoil the earth with pollution and over-consumption. The Latin root of despoil meant "to strip or rob" and although despoil is used more broadly now, it has that sense within it. When we despoil the earth, we rob it of its beauty and strip it of its natural resources. In the same way, an invading army might despoil a village, wrecking houses and stealing valuables.
Vocabulary lists containing despoil
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Lyndon B. Johnson on "The Great Society" (1964)
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 6
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There is an economic aspect to the story in that greed is driving developers to despoil these areas because they see profit.
From Salon • Mar. 2, 2023
He calmly rejects criticism that his vision would despoil the biosphere.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2023
The slightest mistake would despoil the land and the waters, and America has seen plenty of such mistakes over the years.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 5, 2023
That measure is opposed by members of the local Mura tribe, who say mining would despoil the natural habitat upon which they depend.
From Reuters • Mar. 23, 2022
The skull seemed to grimace in defiance, daring a stranger to despoil the royal treasures.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
