Spoil - English meaning

noun

A condition or circumstance that puts one in a favourable or superior position.

Usage examples:

Companies with a computerized database are at an advantage

verb

Put in a favourable or superior position.

Usage examples:

Are we simply caught in a spiral here that will be destructive of our interests while, obviously, s…

noun

A condition that helps you or gives you a greater chance of success

Usage examples:

[ c ] his long arms give him a big advantage over other boxers., [ u ] test scores show no advantag…

preposition

In the time following (an event or another period of time).

Usage examples:

Shortly after their marriage they moved to colorado

conjunction

During the period of time following an event.

Usage examples:

Bath time ended in a flood after the taps were left running

adverb

At a later or future time; afterwards.

Usage examples:

Duke frederick died soon after

noun

A very young child.

Usage examples:

His wife's just had a baby

adjective

Comparatively small or immature of its kind.

Usage examples:

A baby version of the oxford movement

verb

Treat (someone) as a baby; pamper or be overprotective towards.

Usage examples:

Her aunt babied her and fussed over her clothes

noun

An advantage or profit gained from something.

Usage examples:

Enjoy the benefits of being a member

verb

Receive an advantage; profit.

Usage examples:

The areas would benefit from regeneration

phrase

Money given by the government to people who need financial help, for example because they do not have a job

Usage examples:

Unemployment benefits unemployment benefits, social security benefits social security benefits, wel…

noun

A small mark or flaw which spoils the appearance of something.

Usage examples:

The girl's hands were without a blemish

verb

Spoil the appearance or quality of (something).

Usage examples:

His reign as world champion has been blemished by controversy

noun

A mark or fault that spoils the appearance of someone or something

Usage examples:

Makeup can cover up your skin blemishes., only one blemish spoiled her school record.

noun

A plant disease, typically one caused by fungi such as mildews, rusts, and smuts.

Usage examples:

The vines suffered blight and disease

verb

Have a severely detrimental effect on.

Usage examples:

The scandal blighted the careers of several leading politicians

noun

Something that spoils or destroys or causes damage

Usage examples:

[ u ] the city stopped urban blight by rebuilding neighborhoods., poverty and disease blighted thei…

noun

Money, especially that gained or spent illegally or improperly.

Usage examples:

He's spending tons of boodle

noun

Money, especially money that is obtained or used in a dishonest way

Usage examples:

In any big land transaction, you get middlemen scrambling for their share of the boodle.

noun

Valuable stolen goods, especially those seized in war.

Usage examples:

We danced down the craggy coast and ducked into robin hood's bay, the former home to gangs of marau…

noun

A person's bottom.

Usage examples:

You're picky about the music you firm your booty to

noun

Any valuable things or money stolen by an army at war or by thieves

verb

Treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way.

Usage examples:

I was coddled and cosseted

noun

A stew of meat and vegetables, typically bacon, sausages, potatoes, and onions.

Usage examples:

Dublin coddle is best served with a pint of guinness on the side, and lots of irish soda bread to m…

verb

To protect and treat someone or something with great care

Usage examples:

The coach does not coddle his players.

verb

Care for and protect in an overindulgent way.

Usage examples:

All her life she'd been cosseted by her family

verb

To give a lot of attention to making someone comfortable and to protecting them from anything unpleasant

Usage examples:

Children sometimes need to be cosseted., disapproving the country has been cosseted (= too protecte…

noun

Physical harm that impairs the value, usefulness, or normal function of something.

Usage examples:

Bombing caused extensive damage to the town

verb

Inflict physical harm on (something) so as to impair its value, usefulness, or normal function.

Usage examples:

The car was badly damaged in the accident

verb

To harm or spoil something

Usage examples:

Many buildings were badly damaged by the earthquake., news reports damaged the senator’s reputation…

verb

Spoil the surface or appearance of (something), for example by drawing or writing on it.

Usage examples:

He defaced library books

verb

To damage and spoil the appearance of something by writing or drawing on it

Usage examples:

He was fined for defacing library books.

verb

End the existence of (something) by damaging or attacking it.

Usage examples:

The room had been destroyed by fire

verb

To damage something, esp. in a violent way, so that it can no longer be used or no longer exists

Usage examples:

You can use a shredder to destroy old bank statements., losing his job seemed to completely destroy…

verb

To damage something so badly that it cannot be used

Usage examples:

Most of the old part of the city was destroyed by bombs during the war., completely/totally destroy…

verb

Spoil the appearance of.

Usage examples:

Litter disfigures the countryside

verb

To spoil completely the appearance of someone or something

Usage examples:

She was horribly disfigured by burns.

verb

To spoil the appearance of something or someone, especially their face, completely

Usage examples:

She was horribly disfigured by burns., this part of the old town has been disfigured by ugly new bu…

noun

A mark, blemish, or other imperfection which mars a substance or object.

Usage examples:

A flaw in the glass

verb

Mar, weaken, or invalidate (something).

Usage examples:

The computer game was flawed by poor programming

noun

A squall of wind; a short storm.

Usage examples:

The ship had turned, caught in a windy flaw

noun

Physical injury, especially that which is deliberately inflicted.

Usage examples:

I didn't mean to cause him any harm

verb

Physically injure.

Usage examples:

The villains didn't harm him

noun

Physical or other injury or damage

Usage examples:

Missing a meal once in a while won’t do you any harm., fortunately, she didn’t come to any harm whe…

verb

(of a person) pull or drag with effort or force.

Usage examples:

He hauled his bike out of the shed

noun

A quantity of something that has been stolen or is possessed illegally.

Usage examples:

They escaped with a haul of antiques

verb

Draw slowly or heavily

verb

Weaken or damage (something, especially a faculty or function).

Usage examples:

A noisy job could permanently impair their hearing

verb

To damage or weaken something so that it is less effective

Usage examples:

Lack of sleep impaired her ability to think clearly., [ c ] the law bans discrimination against any…

verb

To spoil something or make it weaker so that it is less effective

Usage examples:

A recurring knee injury may have impaired his chances of winning the tournament.

verb

Allow oneself to enjoy the pleasure of.

Usage examples:

We indulged in a cream tea

verb

To allow yourself or someone else to have something enjoyable

Usage examples:

[ i ] when i get my first paycheck i’m going to indulge in a shopping spree., [ t ] he indulged his…

verb

To allow yourself or another person to have something enjoyable, especially more than is good for you

Usage examples:

The soccer fans indulged their patriotism, waving flags and singing songs., i love champagne but i …

verb

Do physical harm or damage to (someone).

Usage examples:

The explosion injured several people

verb

Cause bodily harm to

verb

To hurt or cause physical harm to a person or animal

Usage examples:

A bomb exploded at the embassy, injuring several people., she fell and injured her shoulder., he wa…

idiom

To be too kind to someone, harming that person because you are helping or giving them too much

collocation

The act of searching visually

noun

Expectation; an instance of this.

phrasal verb

To try to notice someone or something

Usage examples:

Look out for anna while you're there.

noun

Private property taken from an enemy in war.

Usage examples:

The rooms were stuffed with the loot from francis's expeditions into italy

verb

Steal goods from (a place), typically during a war or riot.

Usage examples:

Desperate residents looted shops for food and water

verb

(said esp. of large numbers of people) to steal from stores

Usage examples:

[ i ] riot police were sent to prevent the mob from looting., [ t ] the officers of the corporation…

verb

Impair the quality or appearance of; spoil.

Usage examples:

Violence marred a number of new year celebrations

abbreviation

March.

verb

To spoil something, making it less good or less enjoyable

Usage examples:

Water will mar the finish of polished wood.

verb

Treat (someone) in an indulgent or overprotective way.

Usage examples:

I found school very difficult, and realized i'd been mollycoddled at home

noun

An effeminate or ineffectual man or boy.

Usage examples:

Baseball is a game for red-blooded men and mollycoddles better stay out of it

verb

To give someone too much care or protection

Usage examples:

You're not helping the children by mollycoddling them - they have to grow up sometime.

noun

A person, in particular a woman, employed to look after a child in its own home.

Usage examples:

One thing we will see a lot more of is nanny-sharing, where two families will join up to employ a n…

verb

A person, typically a woman, employed to look after a child in its own home.

noun

A woman or girl employed to look after a young child or children.

Usage examples:

Then she looked the young nursemaid straight in the eye.

verb

Look after or be overprotective towards.

Usage examples:

I haven't got time to nursemaid you through these problems

noun

A woman who takes care of someone else's young children

Usage examples:

I'm not going to be a nursemaid to you - make your own bed!

phrase

To search for something or someone

Usage examples:

I'm always on the lookout for interesting new recipes., he was surfing the web, on the lookout for …

verb

Have too much of something enjoyable, especially food or drink.

Usage examples:

It is easy to overindulge in these kinds of food

verb

Indulge with every attention, comfort, and kindness; spoil.

Usage examples:

Famous people just love being pampered

verb

Become or make more cheerful, lively, or interesting.

Usage examples:

She'd been depressed, but she seemed to perk up last week

noun

A benefit to which one is entitled because of one's job.

Usage examples:

Many agencies are helping to keep personnel at their jobs by providing perks

noun

A coffee percolator.

Usage examples:

Leo hooked up an extension cord for me so i can use my perk

noun

A benefit which one enjoys or is entitled to on account of one's job or position.

Usage examples:

The wife of a president has all the perquisites of stardom

noun

Formal perk noun

Usage examples:

The perquisites of this job include health insurance and a performance bonus.

plural noun

Profits or gains that are made effortlessly or dishonestly.

Usage examples:

Thieves found easy pickings in the underprotected bedsits

plural noun

Remaining scraps or leftovers.

Usage examples:

From there they would get first pickings at the garbage.

noun

Money that can be earned easily or dishonestly

Usage examples:

The street-sellers are lured to the town by the rich/easy pickings that are to be had from foreign …

verb

Steal goods from (a place or person), typically using force and in a time of war or civil disorder.

Usage examples:

Looters moved into the disaster area to plunder shops

noun

The violent and dishonest acquisition of property.

Usage examples:

The commander refused to maintain his troops through pillage and plunder

verb

To steal goods forcefully from a place, esp. during a war

Usage examples:

[ i ] after the battle the soldiers began looting and plundering., [ t ] fig. he plundered (= took …

noun

The physical destruction or disintegration of something or the state of disintegrating or being destroyed.

Usage examples:

A large white house falling into gentle ruin

verb

Reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration.

Usage examples:

The castle was ruined when dynamite was used to demolish one of the corner towers

verb

To spoil or destroy something

Usage examples:

It would be a shame to ruin such a beautiful place., that guy isn’t going to ruin my life.

noun

A mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.

Usage examples:

A faint scar ran the length of his left cheek

verb

Mark with a scar or scars.

Usage examples:

He is likely to be scarred for life after injuries to his face, arms, and legs

verb

To give someone so much help or information that the person has no opportunity to act or think independently

Usage examples:

I was being spoon-fed friendly audiences that wouldn’t give me trouble., the zookeepers were spoon-…

noun

A curtain or piece of fabric fastened so as to hang in a drooping curve.

Usage examples:

In fact, to listen to her, you would think the flesh hung from her shoulders like swags from a curt…

verb

Arrange in or decorate with a swag or swags of fabric.

Usage examples:

Swag the fabric gracefully over the curtain tie-backs

noun

Stolen goods

Usage examples:

The cartoon showed a picture of a robber carrying a bag with "swag" written on it., the bag was ful…

noun

The action or process of taking something.

Usage examples:

The taking of life

noun

The money that a business gets from selling goods or services during a particular period

Usage examples:

Takings are up/down the company reports that takings are up 10%., most of its takings come from sel…

noun

The destruction of a ship at sea; a shipwreck.

Usage examples:

The survivors of the wreck

verb

Destroy or severely damage (a structure, vehicle, or similar).

Usage examples:

The blast wrecked 100 houses

verb

Something or someone that has suffered ruin or dilapidation