Showing results for "spoiled"

• past tense form of spoil.
• past participle of spoil.

spoiled

American  

[spoild] / spɔɪld /

adjective

1. (of a person, especially a child) indulged excessively or pampered, with a harmful effect on character.

   Her grandfather is a rough, no-nonsense farmer with little patience for a spoiled kid from the city.

2. (of food) having become bad or unfit for use; tainted, rancid, or soured.

   Eating spoiled fish causes symptoms that closely resemble an allergic reaction.

3. severely damaged or harmed, especially in a way that reduces value, usefulness, excellence, enjoyment, etc.; marred or ruined.

   His new book, Fly Fishing Tips for the Desperate, can help turn a spoiled fishing trip into a successful one.

4. (of a ballot) disqualified by being marked in an improper way or otherwise marred or defaced.

   If you make a mistake on your absentee ballot, return it to the auditor with "spoiled ballot” on the envelope and request a replacement.

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verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of spoil.

Other Word Forms

• unspoiled
  adjective

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Etymology

Origin of spoiled

spoil ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

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Explanation

When a person is spoiled, they're damaged by having been given everything they want. Spoiled people are usually pretty rotten. When food is spoiled, it's also rotten—literally. Spoiled things and spoiled people are both fairly unpleasant. A spoiled child typically whines for something and gets it, becoming used to that kind of over-indulgent treatment. Spoiled milk smells terrible and tastes even worse. This adjective comes from the verb spoil, meaning "ruin" or "destroy"; the idea was that giving in to a child's every whim would ruin him.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spoiled

Stores were forced to throw out food that had spoiled or risked being spoiled and restock their refrigeration units with fresh items.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

An employee at a branch in Odengatan in the capital Stockholm was pictured throwing away bags of spoiled food away.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

The proportion of spoiled and blank votes also decreased.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

For the passionate crowd of immersive enthusiasts who may want to experience “The Pineapple” and are worried I just spoiled the show, I call nonsense.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

She changed the water frequently, but the mealie meal spoiled anyway.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

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Related Words

• rotten

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