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ruin
[ roo-in ]
noun
- ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay:
We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.
- a destroyed or decayed building, town, etc.
- a fallen, wrecked, or decayed condition:
The building fell to ruin.
- the downfall, decay, or destruction of anything.
Synonyms: wreck, defeat, overthrow, fall
Antonyms: creation, construction
- the complete loss of health, means, position, hope, or the like.
- something that causes a downfall or destruction; blight:
Alcohol was his ruin.
- the downfall of a person; undoing:
Fate decreed the ruin of Oedipus.
- a person as the wreck of their former self; ravaged individual.
- the act of causing destruction or a downfall.
verb (used with object)
- to reduce to a fallen, wrecked, or decayed condition; devastate.
- to bring (a person, company, etc.) to financial destruction; bankrupt.
- to damage, spoil, or injure (a thing) irretrievably:
Not only was the burned stew inedible, but I had absolutely ruined one of my favorite pots.
- Older Use. to induce (a woman) to surrender her virginity; deflower.
verb (used without object)
- to fall into decay; fall to pieces.
- to come to downfall or destruction.
ruin
/ ˈruːɪn /
noun
- destroyed or decayed building or town
- the state or condition of being destroyed or decayed
- loss of wealth, position, etc, or something that causes such loss; downfall
- something that is severely damaged
his life was a ruin
- a person who has suffered a downfall, bankruptcy, etc
- loss of value or usefulness
- archaic.loss of her virginity by a woman outside marriage
verb
- tr to bring to ruin; destroy
- tr to injure or spoil
the town has been ruined with tower blocks
- archaic.intr to fall into ruins; collapse
Derived Forms
- ˈruiner, noun
- ˈruinable, adjective
Other Words From
- ruin·a·ble adjective
- ruin·er noun
- half-ruined adjective
- non·ruin·a·ble adjective
- self-ruin noun
- self-ruined adjective
- un·ruin·a·ble adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of ruin1
Idioms and Phrases
see rack and ruin .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Slinking off to his room amid the ruins of his “collapsing life,” William knows he’s an international pariah, the poster man-child for infidelity.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,make the community livable again.
I often point out how the ancient ruins are becoming more visible, but the girls couldn’t care less.
As I stood and stared at the vast ruins before me, I pressed play on my phone and found myself even more deeply transported.
The Fed doesn’t seem very interested in explaining why, for example, a country as rich as ours has so many people just one step away from financial ruin — as Mary Daly’s own family was.
In the piece, Gladwell asked, “Should a charge of plagiarism ruin your life?”
Scandal equals reputational, emotional and financial ruin—for all concerned.
Only time will tell whether Mattel can save their premier toy from financial ruin.
No, you are going to ruin any chance you have and give us a bad name.
One message was clear: Capitalism is causing environmental ruin and must be stopped to save the planet from devastation.
You need but will, and it is done; but if you relax your efforts, you will be ruined; for ruin and recovery are both from within.
Particularly was this the case with Davout, who since 1809 had suspected that Berthier desired to ruin his reputation.
Such a refusal would lead to quick enquiry—enquiry to information—information to want of confidence and speedy ruin.
De Castellor was now in his seat; and when Castanos came off; the Duke was stunned into stupor, overcome by the illimitable ruin.
As for the ruin of any other party, the idea, by a very happy dispensation, never once occurred to him.
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Related Words
More About Ruin
What does ruin mean?
Ruin is most commonly used as a verb meaning to destroy or spoil.
As a noun, ruin means the remains of a destroyed or decayed place, especially a half-standing building or city. It is most commonly used in the plural, as in ancient ruins.
Example: I feel like the once-quiet atmosphere of the ancient ruins has been ruined by the presence of too many tourists and commercial vendors.
Where does ruin come from?
The first records of ruin in English come from around the 1300s. Ruin comes from the Latin ruīna, meaning “headlong rush, fall, or collapse.” Ruīna is equivalent to the Latin verb ru(ere), ”to fall.”
The ruins of a structure or town are what remains of it after it has fallen, collapsed, been destroyed, or been left unmaintained for a long time. The word is most often used in the context of ancient ruins like those in Greece and Rome. However, ruin can also be applied to more recently abandoned structures or towns, such as a derelict factory. It can also be applied in a metaphorical way, as in My life will be a ruin if I lose you.
As a verb, ruin can refer to the destruction of physical things, as in The earthquake ruined half the city. But it is also commonly used to refer to spoiling nonphysical things, as in If you two keep arguing, you’re going to ruin the birthday party! More specifically, it can mean “to bankrupt a person or wreck their finances,” as in A lot of people were ruined when the market crashed.
Ruin is often used in the phrase rack and ruin. Both words actually mean about the same thing—rack means “destruction,” and is a variant of the word wrack.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to ruin?
- ruins (plural)
- ruined (adjective)
- half-ruined (adjective)
- ruinable (adjective)
- nonruinable (adjective)
- ruiner (noun)
What are some synonyms for ruin?
What are some words that share a root or word element with ruin?
What are some words that often get used in discussing ruin?
How is ruin used in real life?
As a verb, ruin is commonly used to refer to the destruction of both physical and abstract things. As a noun, it’s most often used in the plural to refer to the remains of ancient civilizations.
There seems to be a v unhelpful narrative developing among some proponents of indiscriminate tree planting that those who question this are automatically anti-tree. We’re not: we just don’t think you can ignore existing habitat and ruin it by plonking trees on top.
— Issy Bryony Hardman (@issybryonyh) March 12, 2020
It's just a bad day, not a bad life. Don't let one day ruin everything for you.
— STOKED⚡ (@StokedDaily) March 11, 2020
Take a walk through history, one monument at a time. To uncover the Roman Empire and all of its ancient ruins, ToldInStone provides this guided tour for your summer visit.https://t.co/W61VWduKbR pic.twitter.com/YMkpmmf8pE
— Tripadvisor (@TripAdvisor) August 2, 2019
Try using ruin!
Is ruin used correctly in the following sentence?
Unfortunately, this storm has ruined our plans to visit the ruins.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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