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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Spill: Definition, Usage & Examples Explained (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：accidentally pour out (spill)

spill 🔊

/spɪl/

When you accidentally let liquid come out of its container and fall onto another surface.

Spill definition illustration: water accidentally pouring from a glass on a table.

accidentally pour out 🔊

➕

/əkˈsɪdəntəli pɔːr aʊt/

To cause or allow a liquid to flow out of its container, usually by mistake.

📁 Category：Behaviors & Actions 🔖 Level：初级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Old English *spillan* 'to destroy, waste, kill'. Related to Middle Dutch *spillen*.

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'Splash! Pill!' – Imagine dropping a pill into water and it causes a splash, or 'spilling' the news.

📖 Example

I spilled my coffee all over the important documents on my desk. 🔊 I accidentally poured my coffee onto the important papers on my desk.

🔗 Collocations

spill the beans – to reveal a secret, especially unintentionally

spill over – to overflow or extend beyond normal limits

spill blood – to cause people to be wounded or killed, especially in violence

🔄 Synonyms

pour out (v.) – To cause a liquid to flow from a container.

slop (v.) – To spill liquid clumsily.

splatter (v.) – To spill or scatter in drops with some force.

🚫 Antonyms

contain (v.) – To keep something within limits; to prevent from overflowing.

absorb (v.) – To take in or soak up a liquid.

🌱 Derivatives

spillage (n.) – An instance or amount of liquid that has been spilled.

spillway (n.) – A passage for surplus water from a dam.

📖 Cultural Story

The original Old English meaning 'to destroy or kill' (like in 'bloodshed') evolved to mean 'to cause (blood) to flow' and then generalized to any liquid flowing out uncontrollably. The figurative sense of 'revealing secrets' emerged later.

Meaning 2：reveal a secret (spill)

spill 🔊

/spɪl/

When a secret or private information becomes known by others, often by accident or by telling someone.

Spill a secret meaning: person whispering confidential information in a cafe.

reveal a secret 🔊

➕

/rɪˈviːl ə ˈsiːkrət/

To disclose or make known confidential or private information, often unintentionally or carelessly.

📁 Category：Social Roles 🔖 Level：中级

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

My best friend accidentally spilled the secret about my surprise birthday party. 🔊 My closest friend unintentionally revealed the secret about my surprise birthday celebration.

🔗 Collocations

spill the tea – to share gossip or juicy details

spill your guts – to confess or reveal everything you know or feel

spill secrets – to disclose confidential information

🔄 Synonyms

blab (v.) – To reveal secrets carelessly or thoughtlessly.

leak (v.) – To allow secret information to become known, often gradually.

divulge (v.) – To make private or sensitive information known.

🚫 Antonyms

conceal (v.) – To keep something secret or hidden.

keep quiet (v. phrase) – To refrain from speaking or revealing information.