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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

spoil the market en · VERB

Meanings

  1. (Singapore, idiomatic, informal) To set higher standards by overachieving, so others look inferior or unmotivated in comparison.
    • Instead of working with each other, they bicker and say things like, if you do that, you’ll spoil the market. 2006 September 22, Lydia Lim, Keith Lin, Ken Kwek, quoting Alvin Tan, The Straits Times, quoted in Jack Tsen-Ta Lee, A Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English, Singapore: Singapore Press Holdings Limited:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
spoiled the market Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
spoiled the market Tense=Past lexicographic
spoil market alternative lexicographic
spoiling the market Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
spoils the market Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic