spoil

[spoil]

verb (used with object)

spoiled, spoilt, spoiling. 

1. 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.

   Synonyms: pamper, indulge, coddle, baby, harm, ruin, mar, injure, impair, disfigure, damage

2. to diminish or impair the quality of; affect detrimentally.

   Bad weather spoiled their vacation.

3. to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc..

   to spoil a child by pampering him.

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

5. Archaic.,  to take or seize by force.

verb (used without object)

spoiled, spoilt, spoiling. 

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.

3. an object of plundering.

4. Usually spoils.

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

      the spoils of office.

   2. prizes won or treasures accumulated.

      a child's spoils brought home from a party.

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

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

spoil

/ spɔɪl /

verb

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

3. (intr) (of perishable substances) to become unfit for consumption or use

   the fruit must be eaten before it spoils

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

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

6. 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

3. obsolete

   1. the act of plundering

   2. a strategically placed building, city, etc, captured as plunder

Other Word Forms

• spoilable adjective
• spoilless adjective
• unspoilable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of spoil¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of spoil¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be spoiling for, to be very eager for; be desirous of.

   It was obvious that he was spoiling for a fight.

More idioms and phrases containing spoil

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Even as they warm to one another, the still-anxious Boy begins feeling queasy, with disastrous results that literally and spectacularly spoil his cute first-date gift of a stuffed animal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A day of strong sunlight can spoil more than just a beach outing -- it can also harm the process of photosynthesis, the way plants and other organisms convert sunlight into energy.

Read more on Science Daily

He cast a long shadow over the campaign, and in the first round, got nearly one in five voters to spoil their ballot over his exclusion from the election.

Read more on Barron's

As voting is mandatory in Bolivia, he urged his supporters to spoil their votes rather than cast a ballot paper for either of the two candidates in the run-off.

Read more on BBC

Dawson's figures of 2-38 were spoiled slightly by one over that cost 23.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• destroy 
• devastate 
• harm 
• impair 
• mar 
• tarnish 
• undo 
• upset 
• wreck