spoiled
ˈspȯi(-ə)ld 
ˈspȯi(-ə)lt
or chiefly British spoilt
ˈspȯi(-ə)lt
; spoiling
ˈspȯi(-ə)lt
or chiefly British spoilt
ˈspȯi(-ə)lt
; spoiling
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
4
archaic
: to seize by force
1
: to lose valuable or useful qualities usually as a result of decay
the fruit spoiled
2
: to have an eager desire
spoiling for a fight
3
: to practice plunder and robbery
1
a
: plunder taken from an enemy in war or from a victim in robbery : loot
b
: something valuable or desirable gained through special effort or opportunism or in return for a favor
—usually used in plural
c
: public offices made the property of a successful party
—usually used in plural
2
a
b
: the act of damaging : harm, impairment
3
: an object of plundering : prey
4
: earth and rock excavated or dredged
5
: an object damaged or flawed in the making
Synonyms
Examples of spoil in a Sentence
Verb
The fight spoiled the party.
The camping trip was spoiled by bad weather.
Don't let one mistake spoil your day.
Don't spoil your appetite by snacking too much.
Exposure to air will spoil the wine.
I spoiled the sauce by adding too much garlic.
The milk was beginning to spoil.
The hotel spoils their guests with fine dining and excellent service.
She always spoils me on my birthday.
You should spoil yourself with a day at the spa.
Noun
the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
—Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
The spoils don’t include profits from fast food, but rather revenues from fast flaw detection in cars and trucks.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spoil 
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Verb
Dodge won't spoil the surprise by confirming if the last one will be based on the Charger or the Challenger (or maybe both), but the evidence suggests the latter is more likely.
—Jack Fitzgerald, Car and Driver, 13 Feb. 2023
Farmers’ broiler chickens suffocate, and dairy products spoil.
—Monica Mark, The Christian Science Monitor, 10 Feb. 2023
Noun
That was the lesson of the conferences at Versailles, Yalta, and Potsdam after the two world wars: to the negotiator go the spoils.
—Michael Kimmage, Foreign Affairs, 7 Nov. 2024
The spoils don’t include profits from fast food, but rather revenues from fast flaw detection in cars and trucks.
—Ed Garsten, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for spoil
Dictionary Entries Near spoil
Cite this Entry
“Spoil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoil. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spoil
2 of 2 verb
spoiled
ˈspȯi(ə)ld
; spoiling
ˈspȯi(ə)lt
also spoilt
ˈspȯi(ə)lt
; spoiling
1
2
a
: to damage badly : ruin
spoiled my new sweater
b
: to damage the quality or effect of
a quarrel spoiled the party
c
: to decay or lose freshness, value, or usefulness by being kept too long
the milk spoiled
3
: to damage the disposition of by letting get away with too much
spoil a child
4
: to have an eager desire
spoiling for a fight
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