What does "spoil" mean?
Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
Spoil
/spɔɪl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
- Grammar: spoil is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: ball up, botch, bumble, bungle.
- Useful contrasts: biological care, fit to eat, apricot preserve.
- Usage evidence: That proposal may be a way to kill two birds with one stone, but we also have to be careful not to get greedy and spoil everything.
How to use "spoil"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "spoil" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "spoil" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "spoil" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "spoil" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "spoil" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ball up" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "spoil", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
"Thoſe thouſand horſe shall ſweat with martiall ſpoyle Of conquered kingdomes, and of Cities ſackt, […]"
- 2 the act of stripping and taking by force wordnet
- 3 The act of taking plunder from an enemy or victim; spoliation, pillage, rapine. archaic
"This countrey ſwarmes with vile outragious men, That liue by rapine and by lawleſſe ſpoile, Fit ſouldiers for the wicked Tamburlaine."
- 4 the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it wordnet
- 5 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. uncountable
"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.""
Show 1 more definition
- 6 (usually plural) valuables taken by violence (especially in war) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of arms or armour. archaic, transitive
- 2 alter from the original wordnet
- 3 To strip or deprive (someone) of possessions; to rob, despoil. archaic, transitive
"All that herde hym wer amased and sayde: ys nott this he that spoylled them whych called on this name in Jerusalem?"
- 4 become unfit for consumption or use wordnet
- 5 To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.). ambitransitive, archaic
"Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil."
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 make imperfect wordnet
- 7 To carry off (goods) by force; to steal. obsolete, transitive
"No man can enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man."
- 8 destroy and strip of its possession wordnet
- 9 To ruin; to damage in such a way as to make undesirable or unusable. transitive
"All this sun spoils me for vacations in the far North."
- 10 have a strong desire or urge to do something wordnet
- 11 To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess. transitive
- 12 make a mess of, destroy or ruin wordnet
- 13 To go bad; to become sour or rancid; to decay. intransitive
"Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge; otherwise it will spoil."
- 14 hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of wordnet
- 15 To render (a ballot) invalid by deliberately defacing. transitive
"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."
- 16 treat with excessive indulgence wordnet
- 17 To prematurely reveal major events or the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing ahead of time as a spoiler. transitive
"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."
- 18 To reduce the lift generated by an airplane or wing by deflecting air upwards, usually with a spoiler.
- 19 To be very eager (for something). intransitive
"Senator Toombs who announced his readiness to whip Great Britain [...] has been spoiling for a fight ever since"
Antonyms
Example
"That proposal may be a way to kill two birds with one stone, but we also have to be careful not to get greedy and spoil everything."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "spoil"?
Common synonyms include: ball up, botch, bumble, bungle, corrupt, foil.
How do you use "spoil" in a sentence?
That proposal may be a way to kill two birds with one stone, but we also have to be careful not to get greedy and spoil everything.
How do you pronounce "spoil"?
Pronounced /spɔɪl/.
Etymology
From Middle English spoilen, spuylen, borrowed from Old French espoillier, espollier, espuler, from Latin spoliāre (“pillage, ruin, spoil”).