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spoil

Spoil is the act of destroying something, or at least ruining 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. Food can also spoil, or become unsafe for eating, and you can spoil a child by always giving him everything he wants, making him unable to cope when things don't go his way. The word spoil comes from the Old French espoillier, to plunder. In fact, things taken by force are called spoils, like the spoils of war.

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: spoil

1
 vn
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it
2
 v
become unfit for consumption or use
3
 v
treat with excessive indulgence
4
 v
have a strong desire or urge to do something
FULL DEFINITIONS OF: spoil
1

v make a mess of, destroy or ruin

Synonyms:
ball up, blow, bobble, bodge, bollix, bollix up, bollocks, bollocks up, botch, botch up, bumble, bungle, flub, fluff, foul up, fuck up, fumble, louse up, mess up, mishandle, muck up, muff, screw up
Type of:
fail, go wrong, miscarry
be unsuccessful

v make imperfect

Synonyms:
deflower, impair, mar, vitiate
Types:
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cloud, corrupt, defile, sully, taint
place under suspicion or cast doubt upon
blemish, deface, disfigure
mar or spoil the appearance of
mangle, maul
injure badly by beating
mark, pit, pock, scar
mark with a scar
Type of:
damage
inflict damage upon

v destroy and strip of its possession

Synonyms:
despoil, plunder, rape, violate
Type of:
destroy, ruin
destroy completely; damage irreparably

v alter from the original

Synonyms:
corrupt
Types:
adulterate, debase, dilute, load, stretch
corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
water down
thin by adding water to
doctor, doctor up, sophisticate
alter and make impure, as with the intention to deceive
Type of:
modify
make less severe or harsh or extreme

v hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of

Synonyms:
baffle, bilk, cross, foil, frustrate, queer, scotch, thwart
Types:
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disappoint, let down
fail to meet the hopes or expectations of
dash
destroy or break
short-circuit
hamper the progress of; impede
ruin
destroy or cause to fail
betray, fail
disappoint, prove undependable to; abandon, forsake
come short, fall short
fail to meet (expectations or standards)
disenchant, disillusion
free from enchantment
undo
cause the ruin or downfall of
break
cause the failure or ruin of
shipwreck
ruin utterly
Type of:
forbid, foreclose, forestall, preclude, prevent
keep from happening or arising; make impossible

n the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it

“her spoiling my dress was deliberate”
Synonyms:
spoilage, spoiling
Type of:
injury
an act that causes someone or something to receive physical damage

n the act of stripping and taking by force

Synonyms:
despoilation, despoilment, despoliation, spoilation, spoliation
Type of:
pillage, pillaging, plundering
the act of stealing valuable things from a place

n (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war)

“to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy”
Type of:
stolen property
property that has been stolen
2

v become unfit for consumption or use

“the meat must be eaten before it spoils”
Synonyms:
go bad
Types:
addle
become rotten
curdle
go bad or sour
Type of:
decay
undergo decay or decomposition
3

v treat with excessive indulgence

Synonyms:
baby, cocker, coddle, cosset, featherbed, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper
Type of:
do by, handle, treat
interact in a certain way
4

v have a strong desire or urge to do something

“He is spoiling for a fight”
Synonyms:
itch
Type of:
desire, want
feel or have a desire for; want strongly
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