ruin
verb
- cause to destroy or lose everything
noun
- state of being a ruin
- destroy
Wiktionary
Pronunciation: /ˈɹuː.ɪn/ / [ˈɹuwɪn]
noun
Etymology: From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).
- The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
“The Veian and the Gabian towirs shall fall, / And one promiscuous ruin cover all; / Nor, after length of years, a stone betray / The place where once the very ruins lay.”
“The labour of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.”
- The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
“The monastery has fallen into ruin.”
- Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
“Gambling has been the ruin of many.”
“The errors of young men are the ruin of business.”
- The act of ruining something.
- The act of ruining something.
- A fall or tumble.
“His ruin startled th’ other steeds.”
- A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow.
“the ruin of a ship or an army”
“the ruin of a constitution or a government”
- Complete financial loss; bankruptcy.
verb
Etymology: From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).
- To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business.
“With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!”
“In one way, indeed, he bade fair to ruin us; for he kept on staying week after week, and at last month after month, so that all the money had been long exhausted...”
- To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable.
“He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.”
- To destroy (e.g. a city) so as to leave ruins.
“By the fireside there are old men seated, / Seeing ruined cities in the ashes.”
- To upset or overturn the plans or progress of, or to have a disastrous effect on something.
“My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation.”
- To make something less enjoyable or likeable.
“I used to love that song, but being assaulted when that song was playing ruined the song for me.”
- To make (someone) have a ruined orgasm.
- To reveal the ending of (a story); to spoil.
- To fall into a state of decay.
“Though he his house of polisht marble build, / Yet shall it ruine like the Moth's fraile cell”
- To seduce or debauch, and thus harm the social standing of.
“The young libertine was notorious for ruining local girls.”