spoil

noun

\ ˈspȯi(-ə)l

Definition of spoil

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : plunder taken from an enemy in war or from a victim in robbery : loot

b : public offices made the property of a successful party —usually used in plural

c : something valuable or desirable gained through special effort or opportunism or in return for a favor —usually used in plural

2a : spoliation, plundering

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

spoil

verb

spoiled\ ˈspȯi(-ə)ld

, ˈspȯi(-ə)lt \ or chiefly British spoilt\ ˈspȯi(-ə)lt

\; spoiling

Definition of spoil (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a archaic : despoil, strip

b : pillage, rob

2 archaic : to seize by force

3a : to damage seriously : ruin

b : to impair the quality or effect of a quarrel spoiled the celebration

4a : to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise

b : to pamper excessively : coddle

intransitive verb

1 : to practice plunder and robbery

2 : to lose valuable or useful qualities usually as a result of decay the fruit spoiled

3 : to have an eager desire spoiling for a fight

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Choose the Right Synonym for spoil

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

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

Examples of spoil in a Sentence

Noun

the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

But the accelerated efforts are now stalled as Republican lawmakers fight over whose constituents will get the spoils of the lucrative program. — Tim Fernholz, Quartz, "Trump’s 5-year moon landing plan has gone off the rails," 19 Aug. 2019 Kwan, by contrast, is calm, controlled and thoughtful, more likely to keep to the shadows than show off the spoils of his success. — The Economist, "Kevin Kwan, the quiet man behind “Crazy Rich Asians”," 9 Aug. 2019 For two days in Cleveland, Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora reaped the spoils of his team’s accomplishment in 2018. — Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Defending World Series champion Red Sox still feared despite early stumble," 13 July 2019 Substitute Lucas Moura equalised once again for Spurs with his first touch, but the drama took over at the end and ensured a share of the spoils. — SI.com, "Man City 2-2 Spurs: Report, Ratings & Reaction as VAR Rules Out Late City Winner," 17 Aug. 2019 The headpiece may well have been the spoils of war, perhaps carried by an opportunistic soldier from the army’s previous victories at Nicea or Antioch. — Kiona N. Smith, Ars Technica, "Archeologists confirm near-legendary tale of crusaders’ siege of Jerusalem," 24 July 2019 This is the latest great white shark intervening in the spoils of fishing fanatics that has gone viral in recent months. — Richard Tribou, orlandosentinel.com, "Great white shark snatches up young fisherman’s catch," 22 July 2019 Female lions famously hunt their prey in packs, while male lions have typically been viewed as the lazy recipients of the spoils. — Emily Toomey, Smithsonian, "Ten Things We’ve Learned About Lions Since Disney’s Original ‘The Lion King’," 19 July 2019 Many of the spoils come from Eastern Europe, and tend to run toward the heavy: beer, schnitzel, sausages. — Natasha Frost, Quartzy, "An Austrian Twitter acco

spoil

Definition of spoil

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Choose the Right Synonym for spoil

Examples of spoil in a Sentence

spoil

Definition of spoil

Other Words from spoil

Synonyms for spoil

Choose the Right Synonym for spoil

Examples of spoil in a Sentence

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