spoil

/spɔil/
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spoil

A child's constant whining can spoil a family picnic.

Definition

  1. Verb (transitive and intransitive):

    • To damage or reduce the quality, value, or enjoyment of something: To cause something to become less good, pleasant, or effective.
    • To decay or become unfit for use: To become rotten or bad, especially referring to food.
    • To treat someone with excessive indulgence or leniency: To harm someone's character by not setting proper limits or by giving them everything they want.
    • To have a strong desire for something, especially a fight or argument: To be eager for a confrontation.
    • To plunder or rob: To take goods or property by force.

  2. Noun:

    • (Usually plural) Goods or benefits taken by force, especially in war: Valuables seized from a defeated enemy.
    • The act of damaging or ruining something: The process or result of causing spoilage.
Examples of Usage

  • Verb:

    • The rain spoiled our picnic. (The rain damaged our plans and reduced our enjoyment of the picnic.)
    • Milk will spoil if left out of the refrigerator. (Milk will become sour and unfit to drink.)
    • If you give a child everything they ask for, you might spoil them. (Excessive indulgence can harm the child's character.)
    • He seems to be spoiling for an argument today. (He appears to be eagerly seeking a quarrel.)
    • Invaders came to spoil the village. (Invaders came to plunder or rob the village.)

  • Noun:

    • The victors divided the spoils of war. (The winners shared the valuable goods taken from the defeated enemy.)
    • The spoil of the fruit was caused by the heat. (The damage to the fruit was a result of the high temperature.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to be spoiling for a fight": To be very eager or looking for an opportunity to argue or fight.
    • After the insult, he was clearly spoiling for a fight.
  • "spare the rod and spoil the child": A proverb meaning that if you do not punish a child for wrongdoing, you will ruin their character. (Note: This is an idiom; the target word "spoil" is used in its character-harming sense.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Spoiled/Spoilt (adjective): (Of a person, especially a child) rude and badly behaved because they are given everything they want. (Of food) having become unfit to eat. (Of an object or situation) damaged or ruined.
    • a spoiled child / The meat is spoilt.
  • Spoilage (noun): The process of decaying, especially of food.
    • Refrigeration prevents spoilage.
  • Spoiler (noun): 1. Information that reveals important plot details of a story, thus "spoiling" the surprise. 2. A device on a vehicle to improve its grip on the road.
    • Please don't give any spoilers for the movie's ending.
Synonyms
  • Verb (to damage): Ruin, mar, impair, botch.
  • Verb (to decay): Rot, go bad, decompose.
  • Verb (to indulge): Pamper, overindulge, coddle.
  • Noun (goods): Plunder, loot, booty, prizes.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Spoil for: To be eager for (something, typically a confrontation). This is often used in the continuous tense ("be spoiling for").
    • The team is spoiling for a rematch after last year's defeat.
Related Idioms
  • To the victor belong the spoils: The winner has the right to take the possessions of the loser. This idiom uses the noun form of "spoil."
    • After the corporate takeover, the CEO reorganized the company, believing to the victor belong the spoils.
spoil

A child's constant whining can spoil a family picnic.

Noun
  1. the act of stripping and taking by force
  2. the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it
    • her spoiling my dress was deliberate
  3. (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war)
    • to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy
Verb
  1. make imperfect
    • nothing marred her beauty
  2. destroy and strip of its possession
    • The soldiers raped the beautiful country
  3. have a strong desire or urge to do something
    • She is itching to start the project
    • He is spoiling for a fight
  4. hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of
    • What ultimately frustrated every challenger was Ruth's amazing September surge
    • foil your opponent
  5. treat with excessive indulgence
    • grandparents often pamper the children
    • Let's not mollycoddle our students!
  6. alter from the original
  7. become unfit for consumption or use
    • the meat must be eaten before it spoils
  8. make a mess of, destroy or ruin
    • I botched the dinner and we had to eat out
    • the pianist screwed up the difficult passage in the second movement

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