Skip to main content
to spoil

to spoil

209 2.8
To make something less good or enjoyable
  • verb
  • /spɔɪl/
: estropear
  • Elizabeth, let's not spoil the day with a discussion like this one, okay?

Did that in some ways spoil your expectations?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • His rude comments spoiled the atmosphere of the celebration.

  • Yo, guys, I hate to spoil the party, but we've got a problem.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • - Are you going to spoil my birthday?

  • Sorry to spoil your day of rest.

  • "Why does this boy have to come right here and spoil my peace and quiet?"

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Did that in some ways spoil your expectations?

  • I'm sorry I had to spoil your fun over at that place.

  • You shouldn't let something like that spoil your fun, you know.

  • I didn't want to spoil your party.

  • But I wasn't about to let them spoil what we had here.

    Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

to ruin
vsto spoil
∞ 2.0

Destroy or badly damage something so it cannot be used

is often less complete, reducing quality rather than fully destroying
to screw up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
850 6.3

To make a mistake that ruins what you are doing

is a neutral term used in many styles, not only informal mistakes
to mess up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
755 2.8

To make a mistake that causes a problem

can also describe gradual or accidental harm, not only singular mistakes
to fuck up
vsto spoil
  • Offensive
690 9.9

To make a serious mistake that ruins something

is polite and neutral, used across contexts rather than crude slang
to damage
vsto spoil
323 1.4

To harm something so it becomes less useful, valuable, or healthy

is broader and also includes milder loss of enjoyment or quality
to poison
vsto spoil
85 4.4

To damage a relationship or group by spreading bad ideas

is broader and can mean simple harm or loss of enjoyment, not only corruption
to impair
vsto spoil
39 5.1

To make something worse or less able to work

is more general, covering visible damage and loss of enjoyment too
to botch
vsto spoil
38 6.0

To do something badly and spoil the result

is more general, covering accidental or gradual harms not only clumsy work
to mishandle
vsto spoil
35 4.9

Deal with something badly so it causes problems or damage

is more general, covering many causes of harm beyond poor handling
to mar
vsto spoil
29 5.3

To damage how something looks or its quality

is wider, affecting usefulness or enjoyment not only how it looks
to sully
vsto spoil
25 7.6

Make someone's good name seem bad

is more general and applies to objects, feelings, and enjoyment too
to do a job on
vsto spoil
  • UK
22 7.7

Damage or spoil something badly

is sometimes milder and can mean only reduced usefulness or enjoyment
to bungle
vsto spoil
19 6.8

To do something clumsily so it causes mistakes

is broader, used for many harms beyond individual clumsy actions
to foul up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
18 6.4

To make a mistake that ruins something because you are careless

covers both careless mistakes and unintentional harm without error
to muck up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
14 7.6

To ruin something by making mistakes or doing it badly

is more general and formal, not tied to informal regional usage
to flub
vsto spoil
  • Informal
6 6.8

To make an embarrassing mistake because you are careless or nervous

can describe general loss of usefulness beyond nervous or small mistakes
to louse up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
6 8.1

To make a mess of a plan or task by doing it badly

is neutral and formal as needed, not limited to informal mistakes
to botch up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
4 6.7

Do a job badly and make a mess of it

includes the same outcome but also covers non-action-related decline
to darken
vsto spoil
4 3.8

Make people think less of someone after a bad action

is used more generally for objects, feelings, or usefulness not only reputation
to muff
vsto spoil
4 8.2

To fail to catch or handle something because you are clumsy

is broader, covering many kinds of harm beyond performance failures
to ruin the mood
vsto spoil
  • Informal
2 4.1

Make people feel less happy in a situation

is broader and affects objects, usefulness, or enjoyment beyond mood alone
to vitiate
vsto spoil
  • Formal
2 9.9

Make a contract or decision not valid by law

is broader, applying to value, usefulness, or pleasure beyond invalidity
to ball up
vsto spoil
  • Informal
2 7.9

To do something badly and ruin how it turns out

is broader and can refer to slow decay or non-error harm
to queer
vsto spoil
  • Archaic
2 9.1

To spoil or ruin a plan

applies more widely to physical things and feelings, not only plans
to fluff
vsto spoil
  • Informal
2 5.4

To make a mistake especially by forgetting words on stage

also applies to non-action harms and natural decline, not only bungles
to bollix
vsto spoil
  • Slang
1 9.9

To ruin something by doing it badly

is a general neutral term, not limited to rude or informal speech
to bollocks up
vsto spoil
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To do something so badly that it fails

is the neutral term for harm, not slang nor limited to poor handling
to bollocks
vsto spoil
  • Offensive
1 9.9

To spoil or ruin something by making a careless mistake

is neutral and non-slang, used in formal contexts rather than crude speech
to bodge
vsto spoil
  • UK
1 9.9

Do a job badly so it does not work

also covers natural damage or loss of enjoyment beyond clumsy fixes

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

To make something better

Idioms

11 6.7

To give someone too much kindness and gifts so they expect special treatment

Phrasal Verbs

to spoil for
  • Informal
4 7.2

Want very much to start a fight or argument

Make a market worse by lowering prices or selling low-quality goods

Compounds

spoil bank
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A pile of waste rock and earth left from mining or digging

How Damaging

to destroy
∞ 1.0
to ruin
∞ 2.0
to damage
323 1.4
to spoil
209 2.8
to mar
29 5.3
to scratch
100 1.1

Surface Forms

spoil infinitive
spoiled past
spoiled past participle
spoiling present participle
spoils third person singular

Etymology

Spoil (to damage or ruin) comes from the same old verb spoliare, which meant 'to strip' or 'take away'. So to spoil something is to take away what makes it good, leaving it ruined.