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Corrupt vs Spoil - What's the difference?

corrupt | spoil |

In transitive terms the difference between corrupt and spoil

is that corrupt is to make corrupt; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert while spoil is to reveal the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time.

In intransitive terms the difference between corrupt and spoil

is that corrupt is to become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot while spoil is of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay.

As an adjective corrupt

is in a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.

As a noun spoil is

(Also in plural: spoils) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.

corrupt

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • In a depraved state; debased; perverted; morally degenerate; weak in morals.
  • The government here is corrupt , so we'll emigrate to escape them.
  • * Shakespeare
  • At what ease / Might corrupt' minds procure knaves as ' corrupt / To swear against you.
  • Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; in an invalid state.
  • The text of the manuscript is corrupt .
    It turned out that the program was corrupt - that's why it wouldn't open.
  • In a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound.
  • * Knolles
  • Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would feed them.

    Usage notes

    * Nouns to which "corrupt" is often applied: practice, state, country, nation, regime, city, government, person, man, politician, leader, mayor, judge, member, minister, file, database, document, woman.

    Quotations

    * , Genesis 6:11 *: The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

    Synonyms

    * corrupted

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make ; to change from good to bad; to draw away from the right path; to deprave; to pervert.
  • Don't you dare corrupt my son with those disgusting pictures!
  • * , Genesis 6:12
  • And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
  • To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot.
  • (Francis Bacon)
  • To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify.
  • to corrupt language, or a holy text
  • To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless.
  • * Bible, Matthew vi. 19
  • Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt .

    References

    * *

    spoil

    English

    Verb

  • (archaic) To strip (someone who has been killed or defeated) of their arms or armour.
  • (archaic) To strip or deprive (someone) of their possessions; to rob, despoil.
  • * 1526 , (William Tyndale), trans. (Bible) , (w) IX:
  • All that herde hym wer amased and sayde: ys nott this he that spoylled them whych called on this name in Jerusalem?
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), (The Faerie Queene) , VII:
  • To do her dye (quoth Vna) were despight, / And shame t'auenge so weake an enimy; / But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly.
  • *, I.2.4.vii:
  • Roger, that rich Bishop of Salisbury,through grief ran mad, spoke and did he knew not what.
  • (ambitransitive, archaic) To plunder, pillage (a city, country etc.).
  • * (Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil .
  • (obsolete) To carry off (goods) by force; to steal.
  • * (Bible), (w) iii. 27
  • No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man.
  • To ruin; to damage (something) in some way making it unfit for use.
  • * (Jeremy Taylor) (1613–1677)
  • Spiritual pride spoils many graces.
  • *
  • "I don't want to spoil any comparison you are going to make," said Jim, "but I was at Winchester and New College." ¶ "That will do," said Mackenzie. "I was dragged up at the workhouse school till I was twelve. […]"
  • * 2011 , ‘What the Arab papers say’, The Economist , 5 Aug 2011:
  • ‘This is a great day for us. Let us not spoil it by saying the wrong thing, by promoting a culture of revenge, or by failing to treat the former president with respect.’
  • To ruin the character of, by overindulgence; to coddle or pamper to excess.
  • Of food, to become bad, sour or rancid; to decay.
  • Make sure you put the milk back in the fridge, otherwise it will spoil .
  • To render (a ballot paper) invalid by deliberately defacing it.
  • * 2003 , David Nicoll, The Guardian , letter:
  • Dr Jonathan Grant (Letters, April 22) feels the best way to show his disaffection with political parties over Iraq is to spoil his ballot paper.
  • To reveal the ending of (a story etc.); to ruin (a surprise) by exposing it ahead of time.
  • Synonyms

    * (ruin) damage, destroy, ruin * (coddle) coddle, indulge, mollycoddle

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (Also in plural: spoils ) Plunder taken from an enemy or victim.
  • (uncountable) Material (such as rock or earth) removed in the course of an excavation, or in mining or dredging]]. [[tailings, Tailings.
  • Derived terms

    * spoiler

    See also

    * spoilage * spoils of war * spoilsport * spoilt * too many cooks spoil the broth

    Anagrams

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