ruinate
Americanverb (used with object)
adjective
Etymology
Origin of ruinate
1530–40; < Medieval Latin ruīnātus, past participle of ruīnāre. See ruin, -ate 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Time ill-consum'd to ruinate our house; But what are they that keep him company?
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 9 by Various
Fayre be ye sure, but proud and pitilesse, As is a storme, that all things doth prostrate; Finding a tree alone all comfortlesse, Beats on it strongly, it to ruinate.
From The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume 5 by Spenser, Edmund
Many tymes the saiyng backe, backe, hath made to ruinate an armie; therfore this voice ought not to be used, but in steede therof to use, retire you.
From Machiavelli, Volume I by Dacres, Edward
The accusation of a man on hearsay is nothing: would he accuse himself on passion and ruinate his case and posterity out of malice to accuse you?
From State Trials, Political and Social Volume 1 (of 2) by Stephen, Harry Lushington, Sir
Mad, man, at my state, That cannot raise true honour ruinate.
From A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 8 by Hazlitt, William Carew
Here again are such stately nouns as provender and ablutions, adverbs like anew and perchance, adjectives like ruinated or commonsensical, once invaluable conjunctives like albeit.
From Time Magazine Archive
He took me to it: a bleak, decayed building, half ruinated, the slated pavement uneven as the waves of the sea, the plastered walls dripping with saline ooze.
From News from the Duchy by Quiller-Couch, Arthur Thomas, Sir
God helping us, we shortly had the fire under, for it began to rain; but the whole house is ruinated, and a deal of mischief done.
From Robin Tremayne A Story of the Marian Persecution by Holt, Emily Sarah
From Bagdat I went by land to Mosul, which stands near the scite of the ancient Nineveh, which is all ruinated and destroyed.
From A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 07 by Kerr, Robert
Salina is a ruinated citie, and was destroyed by the Turke ten yeeres past: there are in it now but seuenteene persons, women and children.
From The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 09 Asia, Part II by Hakluyt, Richard
“You have seen enough of the fishes for one morrow,” returned Barbara relentlessly; “and if the fishes could see you, they should cry shame upon you for ruinating of your raiment by the damp grass.”
From Clare Avery A Story of the Spanish Armada by Holt, Emily Sarah
And here's Mrs. Cruncher, or leastways wos in the Old England times, and would be to-morrow, if cause given, a floppin' again the business to that degree as is ruinating—stark ruinating!
From A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens, Charles
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.
