WordGarden.iospill
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /spˈɪl/
US
- /ˈspɪl/
Meanings
Verb
to let liquid or other contents fall out accidentally, or to fall out that way
to reveal secret, personal, or previously hidden information
Noun
an accidental flow or amount of liquid or material that has fallen out
an accidental fall
Beyond the definition
This word is not only about liquid. You might spill milk on the floor, but you can also spill a secret to a friend. It usually means that something comes out when it should not, whether that is a drink, a box of rice, or private information. If a glass tips over, the drink comes out. If someone spills the beans about a surprise party, the secret comes out. The context shows whether we are talking about a mess or about information.
To spill means to let liquid or some other substance come out of a container by accident, or to reveal information carelessly or by mistake. It is a flexible everyday word with both literal and figurative uses.
Most often, we use spill for a messy accident with liquid: "He spilled coffee on his shirt." But it can also be used for small solid things that can pour or scatter, such as rice, sugar, sand, or grain: "The bag tore and spilled rice all over the floor." As a noun, a spill can mean the accident itself or the liquid or material that came out.
The word also has a common figurative meaning. If you spill a secret, the news, or the truth, you tell something that was supposed to stay hidden. The idiom spill the beans means to give away a secret. For example, "She accidentally spilled the news about her engagement." In casual speech, people may also use it more broadly for sharing a lot all at once, especially when emotions or private thoughts come out.
Whether it is a drink on the table, grain from a torn bag, or a secret told too soon, spill usually carries the idea of something coming out when it was meant to stay contained.
Examples
- 1
Everyday accident
I spilled coffee on my notes this morning.
- 2
Liquid spill
The milk spilled all over the counter.
- 3
Torn container
Rice spilled out of the torn bag as he lifted it.
- 4
Crowd movement
After the concert, people spilled into the street.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Effects spread
Stress from work was starting to spill over into his weekends.
- Patternspill over into + area
spread and affect another area too
- 6
Story revealed
Once she started talking, the whole story just spilled out.
- 7
Informal request
Come on, spill it. What happened on your date?
- Phrasespill it
tell me the news or secret
- 8
Reveal secret
Someone spilled the beans before we could announce the engagement.
- Phrasespill the beans
reveal a secret
See also
Forms and spellings
5 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- spillnounverb
Forms
- spilledpast tensepast participleverbnoun
- spilling-ing formverbnoun
- spillspluralnounverb
- spiltpast tenseverbnoun