verbverb

gâcher

ruin · spoil · waste

Faire en sorte que quelque chose perde sa qualité, devienne moins bon ou soit abîmé.

The French verb "gâcher" means "to spoil," "to ruin," or "to waste." It refers to the action of damaging the quality, value, or outcome of something, or wasting resources.

Examples:

Gâcher un gâteau = ruin a cake (e.g., by baking it badly)
Gâcher une opportunité = spoil or miss an opportunity
Gâcher de la nourriture = waste food

Synonyms and differences:

Ruiner – means "to ruin," often used for more serious damage or destruction (e.g., ruiner un projet = to ruin a project).
Abîmer – means "to damage" and often refers to physical harm or wear on objects (e.g., abîmer un livre = to damage a book).
Perdre – means "to lose," but can imply wasted resources or opportunities (e.g., perdre du temps = waste time).
Jeter / Gaspiller – mean "to throw away" or "to waste" and are focused on the careless or excessive use of resources.

Compared to these, "gâcher" highlights negative impact both in the sense of ruining something already good or wasting potential/resources.

Usage note: "Gâcher" is commonly used for both material things (food, objects) and abstract things (time, chances, relationships).