noun
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the act of ruining or the state of being ruined
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something that causes ruin
Etymology
Origin of ruination
Vocabulary lists containing ruination
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.
Mr. Clark asks us to regard the tale of the two pastors’ ruination as comparable to modern-day instances of reputational destruction.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
But, Rosenfield said, “When we take joy in the distress and ruination of other people, we make monsters of ourselves,” in that the internet has turned public shaming into a gleeful, global spectator sport.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 22, 2025
They claim the AHL’s financial gain would amount to their own ruination.
From Seattle Times • Sep. 12, 2023
"I think they thought 'oh my god' this is going to be the ruination of us," Mr Smith said.
From BBC • Aug. 18, 2023
Their destroyed clothes, the ruination of the party, the damage done to the ballroom and the rest of the house—none of this weighed on the minds of the Incorrigibles.
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
