TO ACT SPOILED.

Question

1) she often acts spoiled to seduce him.What does it mean? what is the synonym of " to act spoiled".thanks alot

Avangi · Accepted Answer

To be a brat?
The syndrome is typically associated with children who get everything they want.

We have the three-year-old enfant terrible and the older "rich girl" who never had to do anything for herself.

"To be spoiled" would be genuine. To say that someone "acts spoiled" is to suggest that they were not raised properly, and always had their way, perhaps throwing a tantrum if they didn't.

But your excerpt is a little bit different, because she is only pretending to be spoiled. Apparently she has learned that this sort of behavior turns him on.

Napoleonponapa · Answer

Dear Sir:

Thanks.

Is it the positive or nagative meaning? Are there any other verbs that can be used with adj spoiled with positive meaning?

thanks alot

Avangi · Answer

Edit. This is a case in which the passive voice and the adjective complement can have different meanings.

The active voice (transitive) verb "to spoil" is something which the parents typically do to the child (in contrast to the intransitive active "I'm afraid these oranges have spoiled.").

Perhaps the grandparents spoil the child on weekends, but the parents, during the week do not. We could say in passive voice, "The child is spoiled by the grandparents on weekends."

But the influence of the parents predominates, so the character of the child is not "spoiled."

So we can say "The child is spoiled" (passive voice) and "The child is not spoiled" (adjective complement).

Both are true statements.

Avangi · Answer

napoleonponapa Is it the positive or nagative meaning? Are there any other verbs that can be used with adj spoiled with positive meaning?

Hi,
In my opinion, "spoiled" is always used as a pejorative, or in a negative way.

Perhaps the guy in your example likes spoiled girls. Perhaps I like to eat rotten eggs.

I don't think "spoiled" has a flip side like "bad" does. In slang, "bad" sometimes means "good." "That band is so bad!" (I'm not sure if that's what you mean.)

But If I say "I like bad girls," I'm still using "bad" as a pejorative, or in a negative way. It means that I happen to like something which is generally considered to be bad.

TO ACT SPOILED.

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