spoil (spoils 3rd person present) (spoiling present participle) (spoiled past tense & past participle) (spoilt past tense & past participle )
American English uses the form spoiled as the past tense and past participle. British English uses either spoiled or spoilt.
1 verb If you spoil something, you prevent it from being successful or satisfactory.
It's important not to let mistakes spoil your life... V n
2 verb If you spoil children, you give them everything they want or ask for. This is considered to have a bad effect on a child's character.
Grandparents are often tempted to spoil their grandchildren whenever they come to visit. V n
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spoilt, spoiled adj
A spoilt child is rarely popular with other children...
3 verb If you spoil yourself or spoil another person, you give yourself or them something nice as a treat or do something special for them.
(=pamper)
Spoil yourself with a new perfume this summer... V pron-refl
4 verb If food spoils or if it is spoilt, it is no longer fit to be eaten.
We all know that fats spoil by becoming rancid... V
5 verb If someone spoils their vote, they write something illegal on their voting paper, usually as a protest about the election, and their vote is not accepted.
(BRIT)
(=deface)
They had broadcast calls for voters to spoil their ballot papers... V n
6 n-plural The spoils of something are things that people get as a result of winning a battle or of doing something successfully.
True to military tradition, the victors are now treating themselves to the spoils of war...
7 If you say that someone is spoilt for choice or spoiled for choice, you mean that they have a great many things of the same type to choose from.
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spoilt for choice/spoiled for choice phrase
At lunchtime, MPs are spoilt for choice in 26 restaurants and bars. spoil for phrasal verb If you are spoiling for a fight, you are very eager for it to happen.