Meanings
-
1
noun
information that reveals an important plot event or ending and may reduce a story's surprise
The review contains a major spoiler about the final episode.
-
2
noun
an aerodynamic surface on an aircraft or vehicle that disrupts airflow and reduces lift
The pilot raised the spoilers after landing to help keep the aircraft on the runway.
-
3
noun
a person or thing that ruins an experience, prevents success, or alters an expected result
With no chance of reaching the playoffs, the team still hoped to play spoiler against its rival.
-
4
noun
a person who plunders, seizes, or destroys; historical or literary
The villagers hid their stores before the spoiler reached the valley.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Formed from spoil + the agentive suffix -er. It first denoted a person who plundered or otherwise spoiled something, then any person or device that disrupted an intended result. The aerodynamic sense arose in the twentieth century, as did the now common use for information that spoils a narrative surprise.