spoil
verb (used with object)
to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: Drought spoiled the corn crop.
is spoiling
-
present progressiveof spoil (3rd person singular).present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
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.
“It is spoiling, but not at the levels that we were afraid of.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
Hospitals are unable to perform surgeries, food is spoiling, garbage is everywhere because there is no fuel for the government trucks to pick it up.
From Salon ● Mar. 24, 2026
At the port, cargo is spoiling because without electricity some containers can’t be unloaded from ships, according to a logistics worker there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 24, 2025
"Almost all the flowers fell after the rains, and rot is spoiling everything else. For now, we don't see any upcoming harvest because there is nothing on the trees," Kouadio said.
From Reuters ● Jul. 13, 2023
Uncle Bob’s turkey tastes like cardboard and his lemon pound cake looks like Jell-O, but Hospital Santa has everyone singing and all this joy is spoiling my mood.
From "The Crossover" by Kwame Alexander
