spoil

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verb

ˈspȯi(-ə)l

spoiled ˈspȯi(-ə)ld

ˈspȯi(-ə)lt

or chiefly British spoilt ˈspȯi(-ə)lt

; spoiling

Synonyms of spoil next

transitive verb

: to damage seriously : ruin

: to impair the quality or effect of

a quarrel spoiled the celebration

: to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise

: to pamper excessively : coddle

: pillage, rob

archaic : despoil, strip

archaic : to seize by force

intransitive verb

: to lose valuable or useful qualities usually as a result of decay

the fruit spoiled

: to have an eager desire

spoiling for a fight

: to practice plunder and robbery

spoilable

ˈspȯi-lə-bəl

adjective

spoil

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noun

: plunder taken from an enemy in war or from a victim in robbery : loot

: something valuable or desirable gained through special effort or opportunism or in return for a favor

—usually used in plural

: public offices made the property of a successful party

—usually used in plural

: spoliation, plundering

: the act of damaging : harm, impairment

: an object of plundering : prey

: earth and rock excavated or dredged

: an object damaged or flawed in the making

Choose the Right Synonym for spoil

Verb

decay, decompose, rot, putrefy, spoil mean to undergo destructive dissolution.

decay implies a slow change from a state of soundness or perfection.

a decaying mansion

decompose stresses a breaking down by chemical change and when applied to organic matter a corruption.

the strong odor of decomposing vegetation

rot is a close synonym of decompose and often connotes foulness.

fruit was left to rot in warehouses

putrefy implies the rotting of animal matter and offensiveness to sight and smell.

corpses putrefying on the battlefield

spoil applies chiefly to the decomposition of foods.

keep the ham from spoiling

indulge, pamper, humor, spoil, baby, mollycoddle mean to show undue favor to a person's desires and feelings.

indulge implies excessive compliance and weakness in gratifying another's or one's own desires.

indulged myself with food at the slightest excuse

pamper implies inordinate gratification of desire for luxury and comfort with consequent enervating effect.

pampered by the amenities of modern living

humor stresses a yielding to a person's moods or whims.

humored him by letting him tell the story

spoil stresses the injurious effects on character by indulging or pampering.

foolish parents spoil their children

baby suggests excessive care, attention, or solicitude.

babying students by grading too easily

mollycoddle suggests an excessive degree of care and attention to another's health or welfare.

refused to mollycoddle her malingering son

Noun

spoil, plunder, booty, prize, loot mean something taken from another by force or craft.

spoil, more commonly spoils, applies to what belongs by right or custom to the victor in war or political contest.

the spoils of political victory

plunder applies to what is taken not only in war but in robbery, banditry, grafting, or swindling.

a bootlegger's plunder

booty implies plunder to be shared among confederates.

thieves dividing up their booty

prize applies to spoils captured on the high seas or territorial waters of the enemy.

the wartime right of seizing prizes at sea

loot applies especially to what is taken from victims of a catastrophe.

picked through the ruins for loot

Example Sentences

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 See More

Recent Examples on the Web

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 If it is not held at a safe temperature, the food may spoil or become contaminated with bacteria that cause foodborne illnesses. —

Abay Yimere, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2023 And some new variant evolving from the Chinese outbreak could spoil 2023 for everyone else. —

David Axe, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2023 However, Cleveland can still spoil a potential playoff run for Washington. —

cleveland, 17 Dec. 2022 So, who exactly could spoil the Astros' pursuit of a third Commissioner's Trophy? —

Michael Shapiro, Chron, 12 Dec. 2022 Not to spoil all the movie magic, but to capture what was needed for M3GAN’s performance, the filmmakers relied on a real robotic prototype in some scenes while others featured a young actress, Amie Donald, in a mask and gloves. —

Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022 As for where things go after that kiss, Kasdan won't spoil anything, except to promise more is coming in ways that are impossible to miss. —

Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 1 Dec. 2022

Noun

Sydney indie act Lime Cordiale won the Rolling Stone Readers’ Choice Award, with frontman Oli Leimbach collecting the spoils. —

Lars Brandle, Billboard, 5 Apr. 2023 But now the ultimate spoils of that journey are just two wins away. —

Dan Wolken, USA TODAY, 26 Mar. 2023 The controversial gem was presented to Queen Victoria in 1850 as one of the spoils of war following the two Anglo-Sikh Wars and has been the subject of ownership disputes since 1947, when India gained independence from the UK. —

Leena Kim, Town & Country, 18 Mar. 2023 Among the spoils the government listed are a $26.5 million mansion in New Jersey for Guo and his family, a $37 million yacht, a $3.5 million Ferrari and a pair of $35,000 mattresses. —

Bob Van Voris, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2023 To the victors go the spoils. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2023 Share Chinese e-commerce apps are making a play for the spoils from Americans’ favorite hobby—shopping. —

Jacky Wong, WSJ, 27 Feb. 2023 And what’s clear is the startup with the most affordable, durable, beautiful, biodegradable, and—this is the hard part—fossil-fuel-free material will win the spoils. —

Alden Wicker, WIRED, 22 Feb. 2023 If the first wager wins, the victorious user will enjoy the spoils of a successful bet and keep the winnings. —

Ian Firstenberg, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spoil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French espuiller, espoiller, from Latin spoliare to strip of natural covering, despoil, from spolium skin, hide — more at spill entry 1

Noun

Middle English spoile, from Anglo-French espuille, from espuiller

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3b

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of spoil was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century