spill

spill — verb

1. to accidentally let a liquid or small loose items flow out of a container, often

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to accidentally let a liquid or small loose items flow out of a container, often wasting them or creating a mess

例句

Esme tripped over the rug and spilled orange juice all over the kitchen floor.

transitive: spill + noun (the liquid that falls)

The bag of rice split open, and the grains spilled across the supermarket aisle.

intransitive: the substance spills

同義詞
  • tip over

    less formal; focuses on the container falling, less common for the liquid itself

  • knock over

    implies bumping into the container and causing it to fall

  • slosh

    describes liquid moving noisily from side to side, not necessarily out of the container

反義詞
  • contain

    to hold something in, preventing escape

文法句型

spill + noun (transitive)

noun + spills / spilt (intransitive)

用法筆記

Past tense has two accepted forms: spilt (common in British English) and spilled (common in American English). Both are correct. The intransitive use describes the substance moving accidentally; the transitive use describes what someone causes to happen.

常見錯誤

❌I spilled water on floor.
✅I spilled water on the floor.
💡Use 'the' before 'floor' because it refers to a specific surface.
❌The glass spilt and broke.
✅The glass fell and broke, and the water spilled everywhere.
💡A glass does not 'spill'; the liquid inside it does.

2. to tell secret or private information that was supposed to remain hidden, often

2.動詞及物B2
釋義

to tell secret or private information that was supposed to remain hidden, often by accident or because you cannot keep it to yourself

例句

Amelia accidentally spilled her sister's wedding plans while talking on the phone with their mother.

transitive: spill + noun (secret information)

Eli refused to spill the details of the meeting, even when his classmates begged him.

spill + details (common collocation)

同義詞
  • divulge

    more formal; suggests intentional sharing of sensitive information

  • blab

    very informal; suggests careless or childish talk

  • confess

    implies admitting something wrong or hidden, often under pressure

反義詞

文法句型

spill + secret/information/details

spill + to + person

用法筆記

Always informal. Often used when someone reveals something they promised not to share. The object is typically the secret itself or details about it. 'Spill it!' is a common casual command meaning 'tell me the secret.'

常見錯誤

❌She spilt the beans about the party.
✅She spilled the beans about the surprise party.
💡'Spill the beans' is a fixed idiom; use 'spill' (not 'spilt') in this expression in both BrE and AmE styles.
❌I spilled my feeling to her.
✅I spilled my feelings to her.
💡Use plural 'feelings' for this informal meaning.

spill — noun