ruin

1 of 2

verb

ru·​in ˈrü-ən How to pronounce ruin (audio)
-ˌin;
ˈrün
ruined ˈrü-ənd How to pronounce ruin (audio)
-ˌind;
ˈründ,
dialectal
ˈrü-ənt How to pronounce ruin (audio)
-ˌint;
ˈrünt
; ruining; ruins

transitive verb

1
a
: to damage irreparably
b
: bankrupt, impoverish
ruined by stock speculation
2
: to subject to frustration, failure, or disaster
will ruin your chances of promotion
3
: to reduce to ruins : devastate

intransitive verb

: to become ruined
ruiner noun

ruin

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the state of being ruined
archaic except in plural
the city lay in ruins
b
: the remains of something destroyed
usually used in plural
the ruins of an ancient temple
the ruins of his life
2
: a ruined building, person, or object
3
a
: the action of destroying, laying waste, or wrecking
b
4
a
: physical, moral, economic, or social collapse
b
archaic : a falling down : collapse
from age to age … the crash of ruin fitfully resoundsWilliam Wordsworth
5
: a cause of destruction

Examples of ruin in a Sentence

Verb The bad weather ruined the party. I ruined the sauce by adding too much garlic. His low test scores ruined his chances of getting into a good school. Poor customer service ruined the company's reputation. He was ruined by debt. The scandal ruined the mayor. Noun The incident led to the ruin of their relationship. The abandoned town had gone to ruin. Don't let the house your grandfather built fall into ruin. The castle is now a ruin. The drought brought economic ruin to local farmers. Her drug addiction brought her to the brink of ruin.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
In an industry weighed down by manufactured personas and premature record deals primed to ruin futures, authenticity can be hard to find. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 12 Mar. 2024 However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families. Olivia Lloyd, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Below are details about the devastating 1900 Galveston Hurricane that shook up Texas and ruined the lives of many. Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 7 Mar. 2024 David Lochridge, the firm’s former director of marine operations and chief submersible pilot, warned his colleagues after allegedly being fired for raising concerns about the Titan’s capacity to safely dive to the depths at which the Titanic ruins lie. Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 7 Mar. 2024 Paleontologists have few bones to examine, and the few that were excavated in 1912 were ruined in World War II. Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 Trump was able to buy it, in 1985, after threatening to build on land between Mar-a-Lago and the ocean, an act that would have ruined the property’s beach view. Antonia Hitchens, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2024 In particular, we have been deeply disappointed when users have used our software to leak game content prior to its release and ruin the experience for legitimate purchasers and fans. Sean Hollister, The Verge, 4 Mar. 2024 And this person tried to ruin my life, so go ahead. Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2024
Noun
The ruins of American invention have been recently resurrected in a former textile mill in Wilmington, Delaware. Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2024 For many years, pieces of the statues were scattered around the site amongst other ancient ruins. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Despite her initial hesitation with joining the adult subscription platform, The Sopranos star, 52, shared how she's received a new lease on life after the service saved her from the brink of financial ruin. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 Berkshire expanded the cash hoard on its Fort Knox balance sheet, retaining the unique ability to take advantage of investment opportunities in any downturn while virtually eliminating the risk of ruin. Bill Stone, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 The ruins were found in the Lubuskie Province, which is in southwestern Poland, about 275 miles west of Warsaw. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 23 Feb. 2024 See it The ruins were discovered ahead of the construction of a new school and activity center, officials said. Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024 Two Russian soldiers can be seen clambering inside the ruins of a dugout, one manhandling a shovel. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 And in yet another image in the book, a caretaker plays with a dog at Angor Wat in Cambodia while in the background massive tree roots slither across the ancient ruin in ways that suggest an alien life form. Tom Teicholz, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ruin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English ruine, from Anglo-French, from Latin ruina, from ruere to rush headlong, fall, collapse

First Known Use

Verb

1572, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 4b

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruin was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near ruin

Cite this Entry

“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ruin

1 of 2 noun
ru·​in ˈrü-ən How to pronounce ruin (audio)
-ˌin
1
: complete collapse or destruction
2
: the remains of something destroyed
usually used in plural
the ruins of a city

ruin

2 of 2 verb
1
: to reduce to ruins
2
a
: to damage beyond repair
ruiner noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ruin

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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