1 A2 neutral
To physically eject saliva from the mouth onto a person or surface
"The angry protester spat on the politician's car as it drove past."
inseparable
spit on
B1 neutral inseparable transitive
To expel saliva onto someone or something, literally or as an expression of deep contempt
In plain English
To send spit from your mouth onto someone or something, often to show you hate or disrespect them
What does "spit on" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To treat something or someone with extreme contempt or disrespect, symbolically or figuratively
"Accepting that deal would be spitting on everything our ancestors fought for."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To project saliva from the mouth onto something — fully transparent
Actually means
To send spit from your mouth onto someone or something, often to show you hate or disrespect them
Usage tip
In literal use, describes a physical act of spitting. Figuratively, 'spit on' means to treat something with utter contempt or disregard, as in 'spitting on someone's memory.' The figurative sense carries strong emotional weight and is common in political or moral discourse.
Words that pair with "spit on"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
grave memory flag ground values face
How to conjugate "spit on"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
spit on
I/you/we/they
3rd person
spits on
he/she/it
Past simple
spited on
yesterday
Past participle
spited on
have + pp
-ing form
spiting on
continuous
Hear "spit on" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "spit on" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "spit on"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
defile desecrate disrespect expectorate on hawk on show contempt for
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