Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

spoil

 
 
/spɔɪl/ verb (past tense and past participle spoiled, spoilt)

Definition

MAKE BAD [T] to stop something from being enjoyable or successful: The picnic was spoiled by the bad weather. I don't want to spoil the fun, but could you turn the music down a bit?
CHILD [T] If you spoil a child, you let them have anything they want or do anything they want, usually making them badly behaved.
TREAT WELL [T] to treat someone very well, buying them things or doing things for them: He's always sending flowers - he absolutely spoils me!
FOOD [I] formal If food spoils, it starts to decay and you cannot eat it.
(Definition of spoil verb from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“spoil” in other dictionaries

Word of the Day

spurn

to refuse to accept something or someone because you feel that they are not worth having

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More