ruin (ˈruːɪn
)
Definitions
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
- (intr) archaic or poetic to fall into ruins; collapse
Alternative Forms
ˈruinable adjective ˈruiner nounWord Origin
C14: from Old French ruine , from Latin ruīna a falling down, from ruere to fall violentlySynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
destroy,
devastate,
wreck,
trash,
break,
total,
defeat,
smash,
crush,
overwhelm,
shatter,
overturn,
overthrow,
bring down,
demolish,
raze,
lay waste,
lay in ruins wreak havoc upon bring to ruin bring to nothing kennet
jeff,
=
bankrupt,
break,
cripple,
impoverish,
beggar,
make bankrupt reduce to penury
pauperize,
cause to go bankrupt
=
spoil,
damage,
mar,
mess up,
blow,
injure,
undo,
screw up,
botch,
mangle,
cock up,
disfigure,
fuck up,
make a mess of
bodge,
crool or cruel
=
destruction,
fall,
the end,
breakdown,
damage,
defeat,
failure,
crash,
collapse,
wreck,
overthrow,
undoing,
havoc,
Waterloo,
downfall,
devastation,
dissolution,
subversion,
nemesis,
crackup,
Translations
- British English:
ruin
Ruin is the state of no longer having any money.The farmers say recent inflation has driven them to the brink of ruin.ˈruːɪn NOUN The farmers say recent inflation has driven them to the brink of ruin.
- Spanish:
ruina
nf
- French:
ruine
nf
- German:
Ruine
nf
- Chinese: 破产 n
- Arabic: إفْلاس n
- Portuguese: ruína nf
- Russian: крах nm
- Croatian: ruševina nf
- Czech: zkáza nf
- Danish: ruin nutr
- Dutch: ruïne nf
- Finnish: tuho n
- Greek: ερείπιο nf
- Italian: rovina nf
- Japanese: 荒廃 n
- Korean: 폐허 n
- Norwegian: ruin nm
- Polish: ruina nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: ruína nf
- European Spanish:
ruina
nf
- Swedish: ruin nutr
- Thai: ความพินาศ n
- Turkish: tahribat n
- Vietnamese: sự đổ nát n
- British English:
ruin
To ruin something means to severely harm, damage, or spoil it.My wife is ruining her health through worry.ˈruːɪn VERB My wife is ruining her health through worry.
- Spanish:
arruinar
v
- French:
ruiner
vt
- German:
zerstören
v
- Chinese: 毁灭 v
- Arabic: يُدَمِّرُ v
- Portuguese: arruinar v
- Russian: разрушать v
- Croatian: uništiti v
- Czech: zkazit v kazit
- Danish: ruinere v
- Dutch: ruïneren v
- Finnish: tuhota v
- Greek: καταστρέφω v
- Italian: rovinare v
- Japanese: 荒廃させる v
- Korean: 파괴하다 v
- Norwegian: ruinere v
- Polish: zrujnować v rujnować
- Brazilian Portuguese: arruinar v
- European Spanish:
arruinar
v
- Swedish: förstöra v
- Thai: ทำให้พินาศ v
- Turkish: mahvetmek v
- Vietnamese: tàn phá v
Usage examples
They'd ruin any chance we have of ever getting that movie finished!
, Three in One (1993)To ruin Busby by bringing in new people," she said, shooting a dirty look at James, "Was to ruin me.
Country Life (2005)Elizabeth, at 15, has to fend for herself, and we watch her, achingly, lurch between salvation and ruin.
Globe and Mail (2003)He claimed the plan had been rushed out to try to ruin the chances of the John Lewis development coming to Sprucefield.
Belfast Telegraph (2004)It doesn't take many such moments to ruin a festive occasion.
, IN FORKBEARD'S WAKE: Coasting Round Scandinavia (2003)