spoil

[ spoil ]
See synonyms for: spoilspoiledspoilingspoils on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),spoiled or spoilt, spoil·ing.
  1. to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: The water stain spoiled the painting.Drought spoiled the corn crop.

  2. to diminish or impair the quality of; affect detrimentally: Bad weather spoiled their vacation.

  1. to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc.: to spoil a child by pampering him.

  2. Archaic. to strip (persons, places, etc.) of goods, valuables, etc.; plunder; pillage; despoil.

  3. Archaic. to take or seize by force.

verb (used without object),spoiled or spoilt, spoil·ing.
  1. to become bad, or unfit for use, as food or other perishable substances; become tainted or putrid: Milk spoils if not refrigerated.

  2. to plunder, pillage, or rob.

noun
  1. Often spoils. booty, loot, or plunder taken in war or robbery.

  2. the act of plundering.

  1. an object of plundering.

  2. Usually spoils.

    • the emoluments and advantages of public office viewed as won by a victorious political party: the spoils of office.

    • prizes won or treasures accumulated: a child's spoils brought home from a party.

  3. waste material, as that which is cast up in mining, excavating, quarrying, etc.

  4. an imperfectly made object, damaged during the manufacturing process.

Idioms about spoil

  1. be spoiling for, Informal. to be very eager for; be desirous of: It was obvious that he was spoiling for a fight.

Origin of spoil

1
First recorded in 1300–50; (verb) Middle English spoilen, from Old French espoillier, from Latin spoliāre “to despoil,” equivalent to spoli(um) “booty” + -āre infinitive suffix; (noun) derivative of the verb or from Old French espoille, derivative of espoillier

synonym study For spoil

1. Spoil, ruin, wreck agree in meaning to reduce the value, quality, usefulness, etc., of anything. Spoil is the general term: to spoil a delicate fabric. Ruin implies doing completely destructive or irreparable injury: to ruin one's health. Wreck implies a violent breaking up or demolition: to wreck oneself with drink; to wreck a building.

Other words for spoil

Other words from spoil

  • spoil·a·ble, adjective
  • spoil·less, adjective
  • un·spoil·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby spoil

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use spoil in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spoil

spoil

/ (spɔɪl) /


verbspoils, spoiling, spoilt or spoiled
  1. (tr) to cause damage to (something), in regard to its value, beauty, usefulness, etc

  2. (tr) to weaken the character of (a child) by complying unrestrainedly with its desires

  1. (intr) (of perishable substances) to become unfit for consumption or use: the fruit must be eaten before it spoils

  2. (intr) sport to disrupt the play or style of an opponent, as to prevent him from settling into a rhythm

  3. archaic to strip (a person or place) of (property or goods) by force or violence

  4. be spoiling for to have an aggressive desire for (a fight, etc)

noun
  1. waste material thrown up by an excavation

  2. any treasure accumulated by a person: this gold ring was part of the spoil

  1. obsolete

    • the act of plundering

    • a strategically placed building, city, etc, captured as plunder

Origin of spoil

1
C13: from Old French espoillier, from Latin spoliāre to strip, from spolium booty

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with spoil

spoil

In addition to the idioms beginning with spoil

  • spoil for

also see:

  • spare the rod and spoil the child
  • too many cooks spoil the broth
  • to the victor belong the spoils

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.