Spoils — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈspȯi(-ə)l/

Meaning & Definition of Spoils

Spoils (verb)

  1. to damage seriously, ruin
  2. to impair the quality or effect of
  3. to impair the disposition or character of by overindulgence or excessive praise

Spoils (noun)

  1. plunder taken from an enemy in war or from a victim in robbery, loot
  2. something valuable or desirable gained through special effort or opportunism or in return for a favor —usually used in plural
  3. public offices made the property of a successful party —usually used in plural
  4. a practice of regarding public offices and their emoluments as plunder for members of the victorious party

Spoils (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. valuables stolen or taken by force

    "the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils"

    similar: booties, loots, pillages, plunders, swags
    related: prizes, catches, hauls, takes, treasures, pilferages, windfalls

Spoils (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "too much coddling will spoil the child"

    similar: blemishes, darkens, mars, poisons, stains, taints, tarnishes, touches, vitiates
    related: begrimes, besmears, besmirches, blackens, blurs, clouds, dirties, discolors, pollutes, smears, smirches, smudges, smuts, soils, sullies, tars, abases, cheapens, debases, degrades, demeans, discredits, disgraces, dishonors, fouls, lowers, shames, sinks, bastardizes, corrupts, debauches, demoralizes, depraves, perverts, subverts, colors, distorts, twists
    near: cleanses, purifies, dignifies, elevates, ennobles, enshrines, glorifies, hallows, magnifies, uplifts

  2. to go through decomposition

    "the meat has spoiled"

    similar: breaks down, corrupts, decays, decomposes, disintegrates, festers, fouls, molders, molds, perishes (chiefly British), putrefies, rots, falls apart, goes to seed
    related: sours, turns, turns off (British), contaminates, defiles, pollutes, taints, addles, curdles, ferments, mortifies, rusts, crumbles, declines, degenerates, descends, deteriorates, dilapidates, sinks, withers
    near: ages, develops, grows, matures, ripens, refreshes, renews, restores, cleanses, purifies, assembles, composes, integrates, ameliorates, betters, improves, meliorates

  3. to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

    "know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait"

    similar: blemishes, bloodies, breaks, compromises, crabs, cripples, crosses (up), damages, defaces, disfigures, endamages, flaws, harms, hurts, impairs, injures, mars, vitiates
    related: deteriorates, enervates, enfeebles, undermines, weakens, erodes, scours, washes out, wears (away), blights, tarnishes, dents, dings, dints, botches, gums (up), queers, lacerates, wounds, disables, hamstrings, lames, maims, mangles, mutilates, torments, tortures, annihilates, bangs up, bashes, batters, clobbers, crushes, dashes, decimates, demolishes, desolates, destroys, devastates, does in, pulverizes, razes, ruins, scourges, shatters, smashes, tears down, totals, wastes, wipes out, wrecks
    opposite: doctors, fixes, mends, patches, rebuilds, reconditions, reconstructs, renovates, repairs, revamps
    near: cures, heals, helps, rectifies, rehabilitates, remedies, edits, remodels, revises, ameliorates, betters, enhances, enriches, improves, meliorates, perfects, refines

  4. to treat with great or excessive care

    "when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that"

    similar: babies, cockers, coddles, cossets, dandles, indulges, mollycoddles, nurses, pampers, wet-nurses
    related: caters (to), humors, contents, delights, gladdens, gratifies, mothers, obliges, pleases, satisfies, appeases, mollifies, pacifies, placates, soothes
    opposite: abuses, ill-treats, ill-uses, maltreats, manhandles, mishandles, mistreats, misuses
    near: controls, disciplines, restrains, oppresses, neglects, overlooks, slights, molests, outrages, violates, harasses, harms, hurts, injures, persecutes, torments, tortures, victimizes

Related Entry: Spoil (verb)

Spoil is a different word from Spoils. The synonyms below are for spoil, not for spoils.

  1. to affect slightly with something morally bad or undesirable

    "too much coddling will spoil the child"

    similar: blemish, darken, mar, poison, stain, taint, tarnish, touch, vitiate
    related: begrime, besmear, besmirch, blacken, blur, cloud, dirty, discolor, pollute, smear, smirch, smudge, smut, soil, sully, tar, abase, cheapen, debase, degrade, demean, discredit, disgrace, dishonor, foul, lower, shame, sink, bastardize, corrupt, debauch, demoralize, deprave, pervert, subvert, color, distort, twist
    near: cleanse, purify, dignify, elevate, ennoble, enshrine, glorify, hallow, magnify, uplift

  2. to go through decomposition

    "the meat has spoiled"

    similar: break down, corrupt, decay, decompose, disintegrate, fester, foul, mold, molder, perish (chiefly British), putrefy, rot, fall apart, go to seed
    related: sour, turn, turn off (British), contaminate, defile, pollute, taint, addle, curdle, ferment, mortify, rust, crumble, decline, degenerate, descend, deteriorate, dilapidate, sink, wither
    near: age, develop, grow, mature, ripen, refresh, renew, restore, cleanse, purify, assemble, compose, integrate, ameliorate, better, improve, meliorate

  3. to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

    "know when to stop, for an unnecessary brushstroke can spoil a painted portrait"

    similar: blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, flaw, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, vitiate
    related: deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, erode, scour, wash out, wear (away), blight, tarnish, dent, ding, dint, botch, gum (up), queer, lacerate, wound, disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture, annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck
    opposite: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp
    near: cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

  4. to treat with great or excessive care

    "when they were newlyweds, the wife tended to spoil her husband, but she soon got over that"

    similar: baby, cocker, coddle, cosset, dandle, indulge, mollycoddle, nurse, pamper, wet-nurse
    related: cater (to), humor, content, delight, gladden, gratify, mother, oblige, please, satisfy, appease, mollify, pacify, placate, soothe
    opposite: abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, manhandle, mishandle, mistreat, misuse
    near: control, discipline, restrain, oppress, neglect, overlook, slight, molest, outrage, violate, harass, harm, hurt, injure, persecute, torment, torture, victimize

Related Entry: Spoil (noun)

Spoil is a different word from Spoils. The synonyms below are for spoil, not for spoils.

  1. valuables stolen or taken by force

    "the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils"

    similar: booty, loot, pillage, plunder, swag
    related: prize, catch, haul, take, treasure, pilferage, windfall

Related Entry: Spoils (for) (verb)

Spoils (for) is a different word from Spoils. The synonyms below are for spoils (for), not for spoils.

  1. as in wants, pines (for)

    similar: aches (for), covets, craves, desiderates, desires, dies (for), hankers (for or after), hungers (for), itches (for), joneses (for) (slang), longs (for), lusts (for or after), pants (after), pines (for), repines (for), salivates (for), sighs (for), thirsts (for), wants, wishes (for), yearns (for), yens (for), adores, delights (in), digs, enjoys, fancies, grooves (on), likes, loves, relishes, revels (in), admires, appreciates, cherishes, prizes, treasures, values, favors, prefers
    opposite: abhors, abominates, despises, detests, execrates, hates, loathes, declines, refuses, rejects, spurns

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Spoils

The most common words with a similar meaning to Spoils:

Chiefly British: perishes
booties, loots, pillages, plunders, swags, blemishes, darkens, mars, poisons, stains, taints, tarnishes, touches, vitiates, breaks down, corrupts, decays, decomposes, disintegrates, festers, fouls, molders, molds, putrefies, rots, bloodies, breaks, compromises, crabs, cripples, crosses (up), damages, defaces, disfigures, endamages, flaws, harms, hurts, impairs, injures

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Spoils

Words with the opposite meaning of Spoils:

doctors, fixes, mends, patches, rebuilds, reconditions, reconstructs, renovates, repairs, revamps, abuses, ill-treats, ill-uses, maltreats, manhandles, mishandles, mistreats, misuses

Related Words for Spoils

prizes, catches, hauls, takes, treasures, pilferages, windfalls, begrimes, besmears, besmirches, blackens, blurs, clouds, dirties, discolors, pollutes, smears, smirches, smudges, smuts, soils, sullies, tars, abases, cheapens, debases, degrades, demeans, discredits, disgraces

Near Antonyms of Spoils

cleanses, purifies, dignifies, elevates, ennobles, enshrines, glorifies, hallows, magnifies, uplifts, ages, develops, grows, matures, ripens, refreshes, renews, restores, assembles, composes, integrates, ameliorates, betters, improves, meliorates, cures, heals, helps, rectifies, rehabilitates

Word Forms of Spoils

Inflections: spoiled, spoilt, spoiling

Derived words: spoilable (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Spoils

Middle English, from Anglo-French espuiller, espoiller, from Latin spoliare to strip of natural covering, despoil, from spolium skin, hide spill:1

First known use: 14th centuryt

Words & Phrases Containing Spoils

spoils system

Frequently Asked Questions about Spoils

What does "Spoils" mean?

"Spoils" means to damage seriously, ruin. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to damage seriously, ruin. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Spoils"?

Other words for "Spoils" include booties, loots, pillages, plunders, swags, blemishes, darkens and mars. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Spoils" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Spoils"?

There are 177 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Spoils". Common alternatives include booties, loots, pillages, plunders, swags, blemishes, darkens, mars, poisons and stains.

What is the opposite of "Spoils"?

Antonyms of "Spoils" include doctors, fixes, mends, patches, rebuilds, reconditions, reconstructs and renovates. Near antonyms include cleanses, purifies, dignifies and elevates.

How do you use "Spoils" in a sentence?

Examples of "Spoils" in a sentence: "the bandits escaped with their lives but not with the spoils"; "too much coddling will spoil the child"; "the meat has spoiled".

Is "Spoils" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Spoils" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Spoils"?

"Spoils" is pronounced /ˈspȯi(-ə)l/.

What is the origin of the word "Spoils"?

"Spoils" comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French espuiller, espoiller, from Latin spoliare to strip of natural covering, despoil, from spolium skin, hide spill:1. First known use: 14th centuryt.