Spoiled for Choice – Meaning and Examples
Imagine walking into a massive supermarket with hundreds of different kinds of bread, or trying to pick a movie when there are countless great films available. When you have so many good options that it becomes difficult to decide, you are spoiled for choice. This common idiom is used when a large selection creates a mild, pleasant dilemma.
What Does “Spoiled for Choice” Mean?
The idiom “spoiled for choice” means having such a wide variety of excellent things to choose from that the act of selecting one becomes challenging. The word “spoiled” here doesn’t mean ruined; rather, it suggests you have been given too much luxury, which ironically complicates the decision. It is used to describe a situation where an abundance of options creates difficulty, albeit a pleasant one.
When to Use It
You can use spoiled for choice in any situation involving a selection from a wide and high-quality range.
- Shopping: Because the mall has so many good shoe stores, I feel completely spoiled for choice.
- Travel: When planning our holiday, we realized we were spoiled for choice with so many amazing beach resorts.
- Recruitment: We had so many highly qualified applicants that we were truly spoiled for choice when hiring the new director.
This phrase is positive and common in British English, though understood everywhere.
Example Sentences
- The new restaurant menu is huge; we are spoiled for choice for dinner tonight!
- Students graduating from this university are always spoiled for choice when it comes to job offers.
- I spent an hour in the bookstore because I was spoiled for choice among all the new fantasy novels.
- In this vibrant city, you are spoiled for choice when looking for a cultural activity.
Mini Dialogue
Alex: “Which video game should I buy?”
Jamie: “There are so many great ones right now. We are really spoiled for choice.”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Do not use this idiom when the options are poor or few. The choices must be numerous and high-quality.
❌ Don’t: “There are two bad choices, so I’m spoiled for choice.” (This is incorrect. Use “stuck between two bad options.”)
✅ Do: “After receiving three perfect job offers, she was spoiled for choice.” (This means she had too many excellent options.)
Practice Tip
Think of a streaming service or library. Write one sentence describing why you often feel spoiled for choice when deciding what to watch or read.
Final Note
Using spoiled for choice is a delightful way to talk about the mild difficulty of having too many excellent options. Practice using this phrase to describe positive dilemmas!
