spoil
Americanverb (used with object)
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spoils,
present (3rd person singular)
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spoiled,
past participle, past
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spoilt,
past participle, past
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spoiling
present participle
-
to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: Drought spoiled the corn crop.
The water stain spoiled the painting.
Drought spoiled the corn crop.
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to diminish or impair the quality of; affect detrimentally.
Bad weather spoiled their vacation.
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to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc..
to spoil a child by pampering him.
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Archaic. to strip (persons, places, etc.) of goods, valuables, etc.; plunder; pillage; despoil.
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Archaic. to take or seize by force.
verb (used without object)
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spoils,
present (3rd person singular)
-
spoiled,
past participle, past
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spoilt,
past participle, past
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spoiling
present participle
-
to become bad, or unfit for use, as food or other perishable substances; become tainted or putrid.
Milk spoils if not refrigerated.
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to plunder, pillage, or rob.
noun
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Often spoils. booty, loot, or plunder taken in war or robbery.
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the act of plundering.
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an object of plundering.
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Usually spoils.
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the emoluments and advantages of public office viewed as won by a victorious political party.
the spoils of office.
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prizes won or treasures accumulated.
a child's spoils brought home from a party.
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waste material, as that which is cast up in mining, excavating, quarrying, etc.
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an imperfectly made object, damaged during the manufacturing process.
idioms
verb
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(tr) to cause damage to (something), in regard to its value, beauty, usefulness, etc
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(tr) to weaken the character of (a child) by complying unrestrainedly with its desires
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(intr) (of perishable substances) to become unfit for consumption or use
the fruit must be eaten before it spoils
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(intr) sport to disrupt the play or style of an opponent, as to prevent him from settling into a rhythm
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archaic to strip (a person or place) of (property or goods) by force or violence
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to have an aggressive desire for (a fight, etc)
noun
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waste material thrown up by an excavation
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any treasure accumulated by a person
this gold ring was part of the spoil
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obsolete
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the act of plundering
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a strategically placed building, city, etc, captured as plunder
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Synonym Usage
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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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spoilsimple
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spoilssimple
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have spoiledperfect
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have spoiltperfect
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has spoiledperfect
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has spoiltperfect
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am spoilingprogressive
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are spoilingprogressive
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is spoilingprogressive
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have been spoilingperfect progressive
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has been spoilingperfect progressive
Past
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spoiledsimple
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spoiltsimple
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had spoiledperfect
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had spoiltperfect
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was spoilingprogressive
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were spoilingprogressive
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had been spoilingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spoil
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
Explanation
When you spoil something, you destroy it or ruin its quality. If you spoil a surprise, you tell the secret you were supposed to keep. When you spoil something, you mess it up, like spoiling someone's good mood by bringing up a painful memory. Food can also spoil, or become unsafe for eating, and you can spoil a child by always giving him everything he wants, making him unable to cope when things don't go his way. The word spoil comes from the Old French espoillier, to plunder. In fact, things taken by force are called spoils, like the spoils of war.
Vocabulary lists containing spoil
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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.
See Examples For:
“Because now he can spoil pitches, and he’s staying in at-bats longer.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Let’s set the stage for you in a way that won’t spoil this constantly surprising film when it arrives in theaters in December and starts piling up acclaim and awards for all concerned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
The eccentric executive cast his criticism as friendly, invoking the French proverb "qui aime bien chatie bien" -- spare the rod, spoil the child.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Usually the best we can hope for is that it does not spoil the view.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
For once she wanted to be the one to spoil the twins a little.
From "Out of Darkness" by Ashley Hope Pérez
"Today we woke up to no electricity. A lot of food spoils, but as long as they have the opportunity to learn, we make sacrifices," said Chiu.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
He marvels at the latest evidence of the grandchildren’s genius, like any grandfather should, and spoils them with treats and toys.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
The spoils of the most dynamic companies on earth are spread among schoolteachers and retirees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026
Yet it’s hard to see the spoils of an AI-driven economy trickling down to everyone.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Not only did Mark Antony hold the traditional Roman ceremony on foreign soil, he presented the war spoils to Cleopatra instead of to the people of Rome.
From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby
"If it were not for the war, she would still be a young girl spoiled by her father. She would be going to school," Zuhair adds.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026
For one, I believe audiences should know exactly what they are paying for, and two, I do not think “The Pineapple” can be properly spoiled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
When I casually revealed the answer to my husband, he shook his head, wishing I hadn’t spoiled it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
That view, unlike a similar one in Spain would be, is not yet spoiled by parasols and day-trippers’ detritus.
From Slate ● Sep. 8, 2026
Southside spoiled the dog the same way he spoiled me, with food and love and tolerance, all of it a silent, earnest plea never to leave him.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
"We've been too spoilt in the UK … In other less fortunate countries we wouldn't have a choice."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
Tour de France fans were spoilt for choice in Paris when it came to drinking in the drama of cycling's greatest race.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
When spoilt votes were excluded, Humphreys won 29% of first preference votes, while Fianna Fail's Jim Gavin, who withdrew from the race but remained on the ballot paper, won 7% first preference votes.
From BBC ● Oct. 25, 2025
Fans in New England were spoilt rotten with almost two decades of unbridled success during the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick era - the greatest quarterback and head coach combination the sport has ever witnessed.
From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2024
Once a week I would cut and pack our garden produce, selecting the best and leaving the spoilt or bruised vegetables for ourselves, cover the basket with leaves and set off for the village.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Sepinwall recalled how, back when “The Sopranos” first aired in the late 1990s and 2000s, most people were watching it at the same time, making it easier to avoid spoiling who got whacked.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
But at the risk of spoiling anyone’s vicarious glee, he also won’t be back for season 2.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
I appreciated the restraint that the cast imposes on itself without spoiling the fun.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
Carling, MP for the North West Cambridgeshire constituency, which includes Holme Fen, said: "This isn't about spoiling anyone's fun; it's about recognising that conditions right now make fireworks and disposable barbecues genuinely dangerous."
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
I could even participate in the band’s punk-rock pot-luck parties when everyone invited had to bring something from their fridge that was on the verge of spoiling.
From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman
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.
