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:
The stock market isn’t convinced that will happen, but more hard-nosed bond investors could spoil the party.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
The paper reports the catalyst for his sobriety was the reunion tour; it says he told the documentary the experience was too "precious" to spoil by partying.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 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
A day trip is plenty of time to visit several—and, if you plan right, spoil yourself with exceptional food.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
It took everything in Jam to not reach out and touch his arm, but Pet’s hand was locked around hers, and she couldn’t spoil the hunt.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
Amount of Samsung Electronics’ planned share buyback, a move intended to share the spoils of the AI-driven boom in demand for computer memory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 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
Yet it’s hard to see the spoils of an AI-driven economy trickling down to everyone.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
Ironically, the easiest way to fund his plans would be to draw on the spoils of faster growth.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Garfield’s assassination by a disgruntled job seeker spurred the public into demanding an end to the spoils system of hiring government employees.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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
It spoiled Max Muncy’s pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning that staked Díaz to a 4-2 lead.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
This is a remix of the lecture supposedly spoiled millennials, who refused to sacrifice every small pleasure on the altar of homeownership, heard for years about $7 lattes.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
David Matias Rodriguez, an 82-year-old retiree, said he was worried the few things in his refrigerator would be spoiled.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“Do not, dear reader, let the pleasure of your eyes be spoiled; judge not too quickly, but read me from beginning to end.”
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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
"We have been spoilt supporting this team and winning the Premier League and FA Cup, the things you dream of, so this is just another experience isn't it?"
From BBC ● May 9, 2024
"When I was a child I was very spoilt by my parents. I was oblivious to the outside world," she told the Guardian in 2020.
From BBC ● Apr. 2, 2024
People living in a block of flats said Christmas had been spoilt as they cannot have a plastic tree in their foyer unless a caretaker is present.
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2023
“No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Good-bye.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Sand storms blew in from the Gobi, disrupting the ripening process and spoiling harvests.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
San José came close to spoiling the party for the Galaxy early on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Very uncomfortable to say the least. Really spoiling our cruise and the crew are trying to laugh it away."
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Without spoiling the season’s outcome, I’ll just say that line is a guarantee of satisfaction even though we know this is the last serving we going to get.
From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026
I hadn’t even considered the irreversible spoiling of Methuselah’s innocence, which just goes to show I have much to learn.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
