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- Dictionaryspoil/spɔɪl/
verb
- 1. diminish or destroy the value or quality of: "I wouldn't want to spoil your fun" Similar Opposite
- 2. harm the character of (someone, especially a child) by being too lenient or indulgent: "the last thing I want to do is spoil Thomas" Similar Opposite
noun
- 1. goods stolen or taken forcibly from a person or place: "the looters carried their spoils away"
- 2. waste material brought up during the course of an excavation or a dredging or mining operation: "colliery spoil"
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SPOIL definition: 1. to destroy or reduce the pleasure, interest, or beauty of something: 2. When food spoils or is…. Learn more.
1. a. : to damage seriously : ruin. b. : to impair the quality or effect of. a quarrel spoiled the celebration. 2. a. : to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise. b. : to pamper excessively : coddle. 3. a. : pillage, rob. b. archaic : despoil, strip.
Spoil definition: to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.. See examples of SPOIL used in a sentence.
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.
(saying) to cause something good to fail because you did not spend a small but necessary amount of money or time on a small but essential part of it. too many cooks spoil the broth. (saying) if too many people are involved in doing something, it will not be done well.
goods, advantages, profits, etc. that you get by your actions or because of your position or situation: spoils of victory The spoils of victory included mounds of treasure and armour. spoils of war Soldiers were recruited with promises that they would share in the spoils of war.
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.
to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc.: to spoil a child by pampering him.
n. 1. spoils. a. Goods or property seized from a victim after a conflict, especially after a military victory. b. Incidental benefits reaped by a winner, especially political patronage enjoyed by a successful party or candidate. 2. An object of plunder; prey. 3. Refuse material removed from an excavation. 4.
Jun 8, 2024 · spoil (third-person singular simple present spoils, present participle spoiling, simple past and past participle spoiled or spoilt) ( transitive, archaic) To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour. [from 14th c.]
