to spoil
70
3.7
- verb
- /spɔɪl/
:
mimar
- It's my only niece, I've got the right to spoil her, right?
- spoil the child
- spare the rod and spoil the child
He wanted someone to spoil, and I said you can spoil me.
- He wanted someone to spoil, and I said you can spoil me.
- Do you think it's possible to spoil a dog too much?
- I think little babies should be spare the rod, spoil the child.
- I mean, you know, you ought to spare the rod, spoil the child sort of thing.
- The Nana that comes in town spoils my kids.
- If the kids don't get spoiled because what happens is then they're not strong.
- I was the youngest of three and so I always had kind of the youngest child syndrome of being spoiled and getting away with everything.
- But that's what I'm saying in some people's minds, you'll spoil.
- And then once they were sort of convinced that I knew what to do because they didn't want me to be spoiled, I was just as pristine.
- I do because I can't treat myself to a car because I get so spoiled with.
Examples
-
Careful, fellas, you might spoil me with too much attention.
-
But this Christmas, my boyfriend, he kind of spoils me a little bit.
-
Do you think it's possible to spoil a dog too much?
-
Why are you trying to spoil our fine relationship of five years?
Fiction book (1996) -
Darling, I'm not going to spoil you.
-
- You got to stop spoiling that boy.
-
But he soon learned she subscribed to the "spare the rod, spoil the child" school of thought.
Academic text (2007) -
And she didn't want to spoil the easy, peaceful mood of the last weeks.
Fiction book (1990) -
We have a tendency to spoil our children too much and to postpone cutting the umbilical cord.
Academic text (1991) -
It's important not to spoil children too much, as it may lead to difficult behavior later on.
Synonyms
42
3.7
To give someone too much care and special treatment
39
4.1
To let someone have whatever they want, often too much
37
6.4
Treat someone with too much care so they become less independent
30
6.0
To treat someone with too much care and make things too easy for them
6
8.8
To treat someone with too much care so they do not learn to help themselves
3
6.7
To give someone too much kindness and gifts so they expect special treatment
1
9.3
To give someone too much care so they become weak
1
9.1
To give someone too much care and protection so they do not face problems
To give someone too much care or gifts so they do not learn to manage on their own
To give someone too much comfort so they do not learn
Antonyms
Idioms
- Informal
3
6.7
To give someone too much kindness and gifts so they expect special treatment
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
How Indulged
Surface Forms
Etymology
Spoil (to pamper) may seem opposite, but it links to the idea of 'taking away' too: the old root spoliare meant 'to take away', and giving someone everything can 'take away' their good behaviour. A helpful way to remember this is to think that to spoil a child is to remove their limits or self-control.