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spoil. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
spoil, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
spoil in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
spoil you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
From Middle English spoilen, spuylen, borrowed from Old French espoillier, espollier, espuler, from Latin spoliāre, present active infinitive of spoliō (“pillage, ruin, spoil”).
Pronunciation
Verb
spoil (third-person singular simple present spoils, present participle spoiling, simple past and past participle spoiled or spoilt)
- (transitive, archaic) To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour.
- (transitive, archaic) To strip or deprive (someone) of their possessions; to rob, despoil.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection vii:Roger, that rich Bishop of Salisbury, […] spoiled of his goods by King Stephen, […] through grief ran mad, spoke and did he knew not what.
- (transitive, intransitive, archaic) To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.).
1596 (date written; published 1633), Edmund Spenser, A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande , Dublin: Societie of Stationers, , →OCLC; republished as A View of the State of Ireland (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: Society of Stationers, Hibernia Press, y John Morrison, 1809, →OCLC:Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil.
- (transitive, obsolete) To carry off (goods) by force; to steal.
1677, Hannah Woolley, The Compleat Servant-Maid, London: T. Passinger, page 35:They must likewise endeavour to be careful in looking after the rest of the Servants, that every one perform their duty in their several places, that they keep good hours in their up-rising and lying down, and that no Goods be either spoiled or embezelled.
1814 July, [Jane Austen], chapter XXXVIII, in Mansfield Park: , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III), London: T Egerton, , →OCLC:[…] it was her own knife; little sister Mary had left it to her upon her deathbed, and she ought to have had it to keep herself long ago. But mama kept it from her, and was always letting Betsey get hold of it; and the end of it would be that Betsey would spoil it, and get it for her own, though mama had promised her that Betsey should not have it in her own hands.
1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 18:There is hardly a trace of metal left in the Palace at Knossos. In one corner only, on the north-west, a friendly floor level seems to have sunk just before the plunderers entered it, and hidden from their view five splendid bronze vessels. They are all that remain to us […] to tell us what the gold and silver work was like that was spoiled from Knossos.
- (transitive) To ruin; to damage (something) in some way making it unfit for use.
1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. , 2nd edition, London: Francis Ashe , →OCLC:Spiritual pride […] spoils so many graces.
1909, Archibald Marshall [pseudonym; Arthur Hammond Marshall], chapter II, in The Squire’s Daughter, New York, N.Y.: Dodd, Mead and Company, published 1919, →OCLC:"I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. […]"
2011 August 5, “What the Arab papers say”, in The Economist:‘This is a great day for us. Let us not spoil it by saying the wrong thing, by promoting a culture of revenge, or by failing to treat the former president with respect.’
- (transitive) To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess.
- (intransitive) Of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay.
- Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge, otherwise it will spoil.
- (transitive) To render (a ballot paper) invalid by deliberately defacing it.
2003, David Nicoll, The Guardian, letter:Dr Jonathan Grant (Letters, April 22) feels the best way to show his disaffection with political parties over Iraq is to spoil his ballot paper.
- (transitive) To reveal the ending or major events of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time.
2018 November 14, Jesse Hassenger, “Disney Goes Viral with an Ambitious, Overstuffed Wreck-It Ralph Sequel”, in The A.V. Club, archived from the original on 21 November 2019:These include a brief but showstopping (and trailer-revealed) scene where Vanellope crashes a Disney Princess reunion, packed with gags and references that should send both young and old fans into paroxysms of glee. The princess confab also leads into a scene featuring Vanellope and the cast of Slaughter Race that probably shouldn’t be spoiled.
- (aviation) To reduce the lift generated by an airplane or wing by deflecting air upwards, usually with a spoiler.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
ruin
- Azerbaijani: korlamaq
- Bulgarian: развалям (bg) (razvaljam)
- Catalan: espatllar (ca), fer malbé (ca)
- Cherokee: ᎠᏲᏍᏗᎭ (ayosdiha)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 損壞/损坏 (zh) (sǔnhuài), 損傷/损伤 (zh) (sǔnshāng)
- Czech: zkazit pf, zhatit (cs) pf
- Dutch: verbrodden (nl), verprutsen (nl)
- Finnish: pilata (fi)
- French: gâter (fr), gâcher (fr)
- Galician: estragar (gl), destragar, escralacar, escoletrar
- German: ruinieren (de), verderben (de), kaputtmachen (de)
- Gothic: 𐍂𐌹𐌿𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (riurjan)
- Greek: καταστρέφω (el) (katastréfo), αλλοιώνω (el) (alloióno), αμαυρώνω (el) (amavróno)
- Ancient: φθείρω (phtheírō)
- Hebrew: קִלְקֵל (he) (qilqél)
- Hungarian: tönkretesz (hu), elront (hu), rongál (hu)
- Ido: domajar (io)
- Irish: mill, loit
- Italian: rovinare (it)
- Japanese: 台無しにする (ja) (だいなしにする, dainashi ni suru), 傷める (ja) (いためる, itameru), 傷つける (きずつける, kidzutsukeru), だめにする (ja) (dame ni suru), こわす (ja) (kowasu) (break)
- Maori: kōpeka, whakapirau
- North Frisian: (Mooring) ferdiirwe
- Ottoman Turkish: بوزمق (bozmak)
- Polish: psuć (pl), zepsuć (pl)
- Portuguese: estragar (pt), arruinar (pt)
- Romanian: strica (ro), ruina (ro), distruge (ro)
- Russian: по́ртить (ru) impf (pórtitʹ), испо́ртить (ru) pf (ispórtitʹ), поврежда́ть (ru) impf (povreždátʹ), повреди́ть (ru) pf (povredítʹ)
- Sicilian: sbinnari (scn)
- Spanish: dañar (es), arruinar (es), echar a perder (es), estropear (es), dar al traste
- Swedish: fördärva (sv)
- Tamil: பாழ் (ta) (pāḻ)
- Thai: ทำลาย (th) (tam-laai), ทำให้เสียหาย (tam-hâi-sǐia-hǎai)
- Turkish: mahvetmek (tr), bozmak (tr)
- Ukrainian: псува́ти (uk) impf (psuváty)
- Zazaki: alıznen
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to coddle or pamper
- Armenian: լկստացնել (lkstacʻnel), լկստել (hy) (lkstel), երես տալ (eres tal)
- Bulgarian: разглезвам (bg) (razglezvam)
- Catalan: consentir (ca), mimar (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 溺愛/溺爱 (zh) (nì'ài)
- Czech: rozmazlit
- Dutch: verwennen (nl), (maybe only in Flanders) bederven (nl)
- Finnish: pilata (fi), hemmotella (fi), lelliä (fi)
- French: gâter (fr)
- Galician: badar, aprouguer, aprouver, engouxar, ameiroar
- German: verwöhnen (de), verziehen (de)
- Greek: κακομαθαίνω (el) (kakomathaíno), καλομαθαίνω (el) (kalomathaíno), χαλάω (el) (chaláo)
- Hebrew: פינק (pinéq)
- Hungarian: elkényeztet (hu), kényeztet (hu)
- Indonesian: memanjakan (id), manja (id)
- Ingrian: raisata
- Irish: mill, loit
- Italian: viziare (it)
- Japanese: 甘やかす (ja) (amayakasu)
- Marathi: बिघडवणे (bighḍavṇe)
- Nepali: उमाल्नु (umālnu)
- Portuguese: mimar (pt)
- Romanian: răsfăța (ro)
- Russian: балова́ть (ru) impf (balovátʹ), ба́ловать (ru) impf (bálovatʹ), избалова́ть (ru) pf (izbalovátʹ), изба́ловать (ru) pf (izbálovatʹ)
- Spanish: malcriar (es), consentir (es), malacostumbrar, (Mexico) chiquear (es), regalonear (es), mimar (es)
- Swedish: skämma bort
- Tagalog: konsentihin
- Thai: ตามใจ (th) (dtaam-jai)
- Turkish: üzerine titremek (tr)
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become sour or rancid, to decay
- Bulgarian: развалям се (razvaljam se)
- Catalan: fer-se malbé
- Cherokee: ᎠᏲᎦ (ayoga)
- Czech: zkazit se pf
- Danish: fordærve (da)
- Dutch: bederven (nl)
- Finnish: pilaantua (fi), hapantua (fi), mädäntyä (fi), mädätä (fi)
- French: gâter (fr), tourner (fr)
- Galician: agrear (gl), defecer, estragarse, cortar (gl)
- German: verderben (de), schlecht werden
- Greek: αλλοιώνομαι (el) (alloiónomai), χαλάω (el) (chaláo), κόβω (el) (kóvo) (milk), μυρίζω (el) (myrízo) (fish or meat), ξινίζω (el) (xinízo) (milk)
- Haitian Creole: gate
- Hebrew: הִתְקַלְקֵל (hitqalqél)
- Hungarian: tönkremegy (hu), megromlik (hu), megsavanyodik (hu)
- Italian: andare a male
- Japanese: 腐る (ja) (kusaru)
- Manchu: ᡠᠪᠠᠮᠪᡳ (ubambi)
- Maori: whakapirau
- Marathi: खराब होणे (kharāb hoṇe)
- Norwegian: forderve
- Persian: گندیدن (fa) (gandidan), خراب شدن (fa) (xarâb šodan)
- Portuguese: estragar (pt)
- Romanian: râncezi (ro), putrezi (ro), strica (ro)
- Russian: проки́снуть (ru) pf (prokísnutʹ) (of liquid foods), ски́снуть (ru) pf (skísnutʹ) (liquids), испо́ртиться (ru) pf (ispórtitʹsja) (solids)
- Sicilian: peddiri (scn), passari (scn)
- Slovak: skaziť sa pf
- Spanish: agriar (es), descomponerse (es), echarse a perder
- Swedish: fördärva (sv)
- Tajik: лухсидан (luxsidan)
- Thai: เน่า (th) (nâo), บูด (th) (bùut), เสีย (th) (sǐia), เน่าเสีย
- Turkish: bozulmak (tr), çürümek (tr)
- West Frisian: bedjerre
- Zazaki: hermiyen
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reveal the ending
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 劇透/剧透 (zh) (jùtòu), (Taiwan) 爆雷 (bàoléi)
- Dutch: verklappen (nl)
- Esperanto: malkaŝi, riveli (eo)
- Finnish: (informal) spoilata (fi)
- French: dévoiler (fr), révéler (fr), spoiler (fr)
- Galician: descochar, lengoretar, palrar (gl)
- German: den Spaß verderben, spoilern (de)
- Greek: μαρτυρώ (el) (martyró), προδίδω (el) (prodído)
- Hungarian: elmondja/elárulja a végét, spoilerez(ik), lelövi a poént
- Japanese: ネタバレ (netabare)
- Romanian: dezvălui (ro)
- Spanish: (colloquial) destripar (es), (colloquial) hacer espoiler, (colloquial, neologism) espoilear, dañar (es),
- Thai: สปอยล์ (sà-bpɔɔi)
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Noun
spoil (plural spoils)
- (Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part , 2nd edition, part 1, London: Richard Iones, , published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act I, scene ii:Thoſe thouſand horſe shall ſweat with martiall ſpoyle
Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities ſackt, […]
- (archaic) The act of taking plunder from an enemy or victim; spoliation, pillage, rapine.
c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. The First Part , 2nd edition, part 1, London: Richard Iones, , published 1592, →OCLC; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, →ISBN, Act II, scene ii:This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men,
That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile,
Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine.
- (uncountable) Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging. Tailings. Such material could be utilised somewhere else.
1961 December, “Planning the London Midland main-line electrification”, in Trains Illustrated, page 721:In view of the decline in freight traffic, it was strange to hear from Mr. Lambert that there is "a continuing problem of supplying, particularly for the civil engineer, the number of wagons required for carrying construction materials and spoil for various works."
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
plunder taken from an enemy or victim
- Bulgarian: трофе́й (bg) m (troféj), плячка (bg) f (pljačka)
- Czech: lup (cs) m, kořist (cs) f
- Dutch: buit (nl) f
- Finnish: saalis (fi) (general); ryöstösaalis (from robbery); sotasaalis (fi) (in war)
- French: dépouilles (fr) f pl, butin (fr) m
- Georgian: ნადავლი (nadavli)
- German: Beute (de) f
- Greek: λάφυρο (el) n (láfyro), λεία (el) f (leía)
- Ancient: σκῦλα n pl (skûla), λάφυρα n pl (láphura), (Epic) ἕλωρ n (hélōr)
- Hebrew: שָׁלָל (he) m (shalál)
- Hungarian: zsákmány (hu)
- Irish: aicseam m, slad (ga) m
- Italian: bottino (it) m
- Japanese: (by a rioter or soldier) 略奪品 (ryakudatsu-hin); (by a governmental officer) 利権 (ja) (riken)
- Maori: parakete
- Portuguese: pilhagem (pt) f, saque (pt) m, butim (pt), espólio (pt)
- Romanian: pradă (ro)
- Russian: трофе́й (ru) m (troféj)
- Spanish: botín (es) m, expolio (es)
- Swedish: byte (sv) n
- Thai: ของโจร (th) (kɔ̌ɔng-joon)
- Turkish: yağma (tr)
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Translations to be checked
See also
References
- “spoil”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams