spoilt

spoilt — 形容詞

1. Someone — especially a child — who is spoilt behaves badly and shows a difficult

1.形容詞B1
釋義

寵壞的

因過度溺愛而行為出格的

Someone — especially a child — who is spoilt behaves badly and shows a difficult character because adults give them whatever they request and do not set limits on their behaviour.

例句

The neighbours called Felix a spoilt brat when he screamed for toys in the shop.

鄰居們都說Felix是個被寵壞的小霸王，因為他在店裡為了要一個玩具而尖叫。

attributive use: spoilt brat

Romi's parents gave in to demands, so she acts like a spoilt kid at school.

Romi的父母對她有求必應，結果她在學校裡表現得像個被寵壞的孩子。

同義詞
  • pampered

    focuses on being treated with excessive care rather than the resulting bad behaviour

  • indulged

    milder than 'spoilt'; emphasises parents willingly satisfying wishes without necessarily causing behavioural problems

  • overindulged

    more formal; given too much of something enjoyable

反義詞
  • well-behaved

    describes a child who follows rules and acts politely

  • disciplined

    describes a child raised with clear rules and boundaries

文法句型

a spoilt [noun]

be spoilt

grow up spoilt

用法筆記

This is the British English spelling; American English uses 'spoiled'. The word carries a strongly negative judgement — it describes a child whose behaviour has been harmed by overindulgence, not simply a child who receives many gifts.

常見錯誤

❌He grew up spoilt in a good way, with lots of love from his family.
✅He grew up loved and cherished by his family.
💡'spoilt' has a negative meaning about bad behaviour; use other words for positive attention.
❌Thank you for the gifts — I feel so spoilt!
✅Thank you for the gifts
💡I feel so lucky / grateful!' — Using 'spoilt' to express gratitude sounds unnatural; the word implies a negative consequence.

2. Spoilt food is no longer fresh or safe to eat because it has been kept for too l

2.形容詞A2
釋義

腐壞的

食物變質不可食用的

Spoilt food is no longer fresh or safe to eat because it has been kept for too long or stored in the wrong way.

例句

The milk smelt sour, so Dario poured the spoilt milk down the sink.

牛奶聞起來有酸味，於是Dario把腐壞的牛奶倒進水槽裡。

attributive use: spoilt milk

Kemi threw away the spoilt leftovers that had been in the fridge for two weeks.

Kemi把放在冰箱裡兩週的腐壞剩菜丟掉了。

同義詞
  • rotten

    stronger than 'spoilt'; suggests visible decay rather than simple staleness

  • off

    more informal; 'the milk is off'

  • sour

    specific to dairy or fermented food that has turned acidic

反義詞
  • fresh

    recently harvested, made, or purchased; still good to eat

文法句型

[food] is spoilt

[food] has gone spoilt

spoilt [food]

用法筆記

This sense appears more often in predicative position ('the milk is spoilt') than attributive ('spoilt milk'). British English uses 'spoilt'; American English uses 'spoiled'. To sound natural, use 'go spoilt' or 'turn spoilt' for gradual decay.

常見錯誤

❌I left the milk out overnight and now it's spoilt, but I'll still drink it.
✅I left the milk out overnight and now it's spoilt, so I'll throw it away.
💡spoilt food is unsafe to eat; do not use 'spoilt' for food that is still edible.
❌The cheese smells strong — is it spoilt?' (for blue cheese or aged cheese).
✅The cheese smells strong
💡is that normal for this type?' — many strong-smelling cheeses are meant to be eaten and are not spoilt.