spoil your appetite

Meaning

To eat something shortly before a main meal so that you no longer feel hungry when it is time to eat the meal. It is often used as a warning, especially by parents to children.

Examples

• Don't eat those cookies now; you'll spoil your appetite for dinner.

  Don't eat those cookies now; you'll spoil your appetite for dinner.

• I had a huge lunch at 3 PM, which completely spoiled my appetite for the evening meal.

  I had a huge lunch at 3 PM, which completely spoiled my appetite for the evening meal.

• Having a small piece of fruit won't spoil your appetite, but stay away from the chips.

  Having a small piece of fruit won't spoil your appetite, but stay away from the chips.

• She didn't want to spoil her appetite, so she politely declined the afternoon snacks.

  She didn't want to spoil her appetite, so she politely declined the afternoon snacks.

• My mom used to yell at us for drinking soda before dinner because it would spoil our appetite.

  My mom used to yell at us for drinking soda before dinner because it would spoil our appetite.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Eating candy will damage your appetite.

  ✓ Eating candy will spoil your appetite.

  'Damage' is too strong and unnatural. In English, we always use the verb 'spoil' or 'ruin' when talking about losing hunger before a meal.

• ✗ Don't spoil your hungry before lunch.

  ✓ Don't spoil your appetite before lunch.

  'Appetite' is the noun that represents the desire to eat. 'Hungry' is an adjective and cannot be used here.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Put down that candy bar! You're going to ___ for dinner.

  💡 To ruin your hunger before a meal.

  Show answer

  spoil your appetite

• I only had a light snack because I didn't want to ___ before the feast.

  💡 Change the possessive pronoun to match 'I'.

  Show answer

  spoil my appetite