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to spoil
01
to harm, damage, or ruin something
Transitive: to spoil sth
Examples
Heavy rain during the outdoor event threatened to spoil the carefully arranged decorations.
Trying to fix the plumbing issue on my own ended up spoiling the entire bathroom floor.
02
to treat someone with excessive indulgence or favoritism
Transitive: to spoil sb
Examples
She spoiled her children by giving them whatever they wanted without question.
His grandparents tend to spoil him with endless gifts and sweets.
Examples
The milk will spoil if it's left out of the refrigerator for too long.
The fruits began to spoil after several days of being exposed to the sun.
04
to take goods or possessions from someone or somewhere using force or violence
Transitive: to spoil a place
Examples
The invaders spoiled the village, looting homes and taking everything of value.
The pirates spoiled the merchant ship, seizing its cargo of gold and spices.
05
to ruin someone’s experience or enjoyment of an occasion or event
Transitive: to spoil an event or occasion
Examples
The loud construction noise outside spoiled their romantic dinner.
His negative attitude spoiled the mood at the family gathering.
Spoil
01
the act of stripping and taking by force
02
the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it
03
valuable items that are taken by force, especially during a war
Examples
The spoils from the captured city were beyond imagination, filled with gold and precious jewels.
After the battle, they had to account for the spoils taken during the skirmish.
Lexical Tree
despoil
spoilation
spoiled
spoil
