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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: , , ,Antonyms: ,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.
Synonyms: , ,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
/ ˈːɪ /
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
archaicloss 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
Other Word Forms
- ruinable adjective
- ruiner noun
- half-ruined adjective
- nonruinable adjective
- self-ruin noun
- self-ruined adjective
- unruinable adjective
- ˈܾԱ noun
- ˈܾԲ adjective
Word History and Origins
Word History and Origins
Origin of ruin1
Idioms and Phrases
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
But the ruins are becoming hidden or replaced by tall office complexes and apartments, and a skyline dotted with cranes and scaffolding.
“In the end, these criminals are getting a few years of prison time for ruining the lives of so many people and forever damaging so many people. It’s a slap on the wrist.”
He had come under criticism recently for a speech he made in April in front of the ancient ruins of Persepolis in which he called for peace and urged for the avoidance of war.
The winter wails of “Are the Dodgers ruining baseball?” pretty much established the Dodgers as the team other major league owners love to hate.
A few hours after the accident, smoke can still be seen rising from the ruins of buildings at the crash site.
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Related Words
When To Use
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.
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