For the simple past tense, Brits (like Americans) prefer "spoiled." Here's some simple advice: If you're unsure whether to use "spoiled" or "spoilt," use "spoiled."

Someone, especially a child, who is spoiled is allowed to do or have anything that they want, usually with the result that they behave badly and do not show respect to other people:

SPOILED definition: (of a person, especially a child) indulged excessively or pampered, with a harmful effect on character. See examples of spoiled used in a sentence.

intransitive verb 1 : to lose valuable or useful qualities usually as a result of decay the fruit spoiled 2 : to have an eager desire spoiling for a fight

When a person is spoiled, they're damaged by having been given everything they want. Spoiled people are usually pretty rotten. When food is spoiled, it's also rotten—literally. Spoiled things and spoiled …

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.

Mar 7, 2026 · In English, both spoilt and spoiled mean something has been ruined or given too much of what it wants. The main difference lies in where they are used. Spoilt is more common in British …

Spoiled and spoilt are two spellings of the past tense conjugation of spoil, which means to rot or to ruin something. Spoiled is the preferred spelling in all language communities.

In varieties of English from outside North America, spoiled is usually the past-tense verb (it spoiled yesterday), and spoilt is usually the past-participial adjective (the spoilt milk).

Apr 1, 2025 · “Spoiled” is the more commonly used form in American English, while “spoilt” is preferred in British English. Both words function as past participles of the verb “spoil.” For example, you might …