spoiling


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Related to spoiling: spoiling for a fight

spoil

(spoil)
v. spoiled or spoilt (spoilt), spoil·ing, spoils
v. tr.
1.
a. To impair or destroy the quality or value of; ruin: spoiled the dish by adding too much salt.
b. To impair or destroy the enjoyment or experience of: spoiled the movie by talking throughout it.
c. To reveal details about (a movie or a book, for example) before someone has a chance to discover these details on their own: The article spoiled the next episode of my favorite TV show.
2. To harm the character of (a child) by overindulgence or leniency. See Synonyms at pamper.
3. Archaic
a. To plunder; despoil.
b. To take by force.
v. intr.
To become unfit for use or consumption, as from decay. Used especially of perishables, such as food. See Synonyms at decay.
n.
1. spoils
a. Goods or property seized from a victim after a conflict, especially after a military victory.
b. Incidental benefits reaped by a winner, especially political patronage enjoyed by a successful party or candidate.
2. An object of plunder; prey.
3. Refuse material removed from an excavation.
4. Archaic The act of plundering; spoliation.
Phrasal Verb:
spoil for
To be eager for: spoiling for a fight.

[Middle English spoilen, to plunder, from Old French espoillier, from Latin spoliāre, from spolium, booty.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.spoiling - the process of becoming spoiled
decay - the process of gradually becoming inferior
mildew, mould, mold - the process of becoming mildewed
souring - the process of becoming sour
2.spoiling - the act of spoiling something by causing damage to it; "her spoiling my dress was deliberate"
injury - an act that causes someone or something to receive physical damage
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
abimant
References in classic literature ?
For in Byron's undisciplined, turgid soul there is a strain of coarseness and vulgarity which not seldom shows itself in his poetry, spoiling some of his most beautiful lines.
Nine times out of ten they take to torturing something, or to spoiling something-- and they firmly believe they are improving their minds, when the plain truth is, they are only making a mess in the house.
When they were not riding, or seeing company, or taking their meals, or piping their songs, there they were with their heads together, as busy as bees, spoiling the door.
He said that spoiling a horse and letting him get into bad habits was just as cruel as spoiling a child, and both had to suffer for it afterward.
Local election voters disillusioned with Brexit chaos and mainstream parties took to social media to boast about spoiling their ballot paper.
The author explores philosophical aspects of spoilers, discussing the history of spoilers, their definition and nature, and the role of vagueness; the ethics of spoilers, including whether spoiling can be bad, sources of the badness, when it is wrong and okay to spoil, timing issues, and spoiler alerts; and the pragmatics of spoilers, including paradoxes, spoiling remakes, whether reactions to spoilers are justified, cultural aspects and relativism, and what to do when encountering someone who spoils.
Although they managed to reach a custody arrangement in 2018, a report claims Pitt fears Jolie feels guilty about the ongoing divorce and is spoiling the kids to shield them from their parents' break up.