verb (used with object),spoiled or spoilt,spoil·ing.
to damage severely or harm (something), especially with reference to its excellence, value, usefulness, etc.: The water stain spoiled the painting. Drought spoiled the corn crop.
to diminish or impair the quality of; affect detrimentally: Bad weather spoiled their vacation.
to impair, damage, or harm the character or nature of (someone) by unwise treatment, excessive indulgence, etc.: to spoil a child by pampering him.
Archaic. to strip (persons, places, etc.) of goods, valuables, etc.; plunder; pillage; despoil.
Archaic. to take or seize by force.
verb (used without object),spoiled or spoilt,spoil·ing.
to become bad, or unfit for use, as food or other perishable substances; become tainted or putrid: Milk spoils if not refrigerated.
to plunder, pillage, or rob.
noun
Often spoils.booty, loot, or plunder taken in war or robbery.
the act of plundering.
an object of plundering.
Usually spoils.
the emoluments and advantages of public office viewed as won by a victorious political party: the spoils of office.
prizes won or treasures accumulated: a child's spoils brought home from a party.
waste material, as that which is cast up in mining, excavating, quarrying, etc.
an imperfectly made object, damaged during the manufacturing process.
Idioms for spoil
be spoiling for, Informal. to be very eager for; be desirous of: It was obvious that he was spoiling for a fight.
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
SYNONYMS FOR spoil
1 disfigure, destroy, demolish, mar.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR spoil ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for spoil
1. 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.
Connected TVs are streaming more video than ever to people in Europe and Samsung wants a share of the spoils.
‘We want to be as frictionless as possible’: Samsung ramps up its pitch to advertisers across Europe|Seb Joseph|October 15, 2020|Digiday
If I can be one member of a duopoly, I actually hate my rival much less than I hate the idea of anybody else who would interrupt that rivalry, because we are splitting the spoils now.
America’s Hidden Duopoly (Ep. 356 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|September 3, 2020|Freakonomics
Rico Finally Paid: its easy fast money money and im welling to spoil you to def .
The Sex-Trafficking Kings of Facebook|Michael Daly|May 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Of course I dismissed him for the day, and of course I paid him for the full time, that being the way we spoil our models.
Read ‘The King in Yellow,’ the ‘True Detective’ Reference That’s the Key to the Show|Robert W. Chambers|February 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So in episode five—not to spoil anything—Cohle gives one of his metaphysical addresses.
Inside the Obsessive, Strange Mind of True Detective’s Nic Pizzolatto|Andrew Romano|February 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At these wellness retreats, the staff will kick your butt—and then spoil you silly.
Best Luxury Boot Camps to Get Fit in 2014|Lonely Planet|December 31, 2013|DAILY BEAST
There are other ways in which the shutdown can spoil the holiday season – for retailers and workers.
The Shutdown that Stole Christmas?|Daniel Gross|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Tom had shown his spoil at that part of the camp where the other boys were chopping.
Camp Venture|George Cary Eggleston
When too roughly frolicsome, he rebuked them gently, so as not to mortify them, or spoil the natural buoyancy of their character.
Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Science, and Art, No. 697|Various
There, Judy, keep back for a moment; it will get upon the carpet, and spoil it if we are not as quick as possible.
A Young Mutineer|Mrs. L. T. Meade
Always be careful not to spoil a beautiful mantel or beautiful ornaments by having them out of proportion one with the other.
The Art of Interior Decoration|Grace Wood
What fools we are to spoil our eyes for other people's troubles!
Lorna Doone|R. D. Blackmore
British Dictionary definitions for spoil
spoil
/ (spɔɪl) /
verbspoils, spoiling, spoiltorspoiled
(tr)to cause damage to (something), in regard to its value, beauty, usefulness, etc
(tr)to weaken the character of (a child) by complying unrestrainedly with its desires
(intr)(of perishable substances) to become unfit for consumption or usethe fruit must be eaten before it spoils
(intr)sportto disrupt the play or style of an opponent, as to prevent him from settling into a rhythm
archaicto strip (a person or place) of (property or goods) by force or violence
be spoiling forto have an aggressive desire for (a fight, etc)
noun
waste material thrown up by an excavation
any treasure accumulated by a personthis gold ring was part of the spoil
obsolete
the act of plundering
a strategically placed building, city, etc, captured as plunder
See also spoils
Word Origin for spoil
C13: from Old French espoillier, from Latin spoliāre to strip, from spolium booty