ruined 1 of 2

adjective

as in done
facing certain defeat, disaster, or death your chances for a promotion were ruined the instance you started mouthing off to the boss

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ruined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of ruin
1
as in bankrupted
to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts after he was ruined by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the industrialist was forced to sell his mansion and start all over again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destroyed
to bring destruction to (something) through violent action tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

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3
as in demolished
to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a huge fire that ruined an entire city block

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruined
Adjective
Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Verb
As Vanderslice unwittingly contributed to the story with some quotes, not realizing the tone and direction of the article, his candidacy was derailed and his credibility ruined. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026 Some suburbs battled soil erosion, which ruined rivers and contaminated drinking water. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 The two mistakes at the end ruined an impressive comeback by Dak Prescott and the offense. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Come on, American Horror Story, don’t ruin baths for me like Rebecca Makkai ruined empty hotel pools with her excellent campus-murder novel! — Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2026 In a defense memo, Pattis characterizes Diamantis as a broken and financially ruined former politician and lawyer who at 70 might not survive a long prison sentence. — Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 14 Sep. 2026 What could have easily ruined their experience instead became an unforgettable highlight of the trip. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026 Only Hincapie’s wayward finish, a second later, ruined things. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 It is associated with the urban renewal that ruined cities and towns all over the world in the postwar period. — Benjamin Moser, Travel + Leisure, 8 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined
  1. doomed
  2. bankrupted
  3. destroyed
  4. demolished
  5. sunk
  6. ravaged
  7. shattered
  8. finished
Adjective
  • Joe and Nathan’s doomed bromance started off tense, got better over time, and worsened again once Joe found another bro to romance with.
    — Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The Navatek Method Before Kao’s doomed reign as CEO, Navatek was a sleepy Hawaiian engineering company with a few dozen employees.
    — William Turton, ProPublica, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of doomed
Verb
  • Richard Stockton, a lawyer who signed the declaration was captured, starved, and nearly bankrupted by the British.
    — Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
  • Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026
Definition of bankrupted
Verb
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the December 2021 wildfire that destroyed Somauroo's home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — LINDSAY WHITEHURST, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Climate change was considered a factor in the 2021 Marshall Fire that destroyed Somauroo’s home, after the county's suit was originally filed.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of destroyed
Verb
  • The site includes four buildings that will possibly be demolished, if the plan is approved by the city.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 30 Sep. 2026
  • After more than 80 years, crews this week demolished a historic bridge that carried travelers across the Mississippi River between Missouri and downstate Illinois.
    — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of demolished
Adjective
  • The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
  • In my experience, mid-market companies operate with leaner teams and cannot absorb the sunk costs of a multi-month implementation with room for scope creep, reworks and failures.
    — Prathamesh Bhingarde, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of sunk
Verb
  • Bangkok Kunsthalle, in Chinatown, opened in 2024 in a former academic publishing house that was ravaged by a fire 25 years ago; the mazelike interior, some of it still charred, is a surprisingly compelling stage for art.
    — Tony Perrottet, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • By then, fire had ravaged the community; the report suggests that incident commanders were unaware of the devastation.
    — Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ravaged
Verb
  • When Lee is so clearly shattered, sitting at home in silence and in darkness?
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 2 Oct. 2026
  • This trust, known as the presumption of regularity, has been shattered, and a growing number of judges have expressed frustration and alarm.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of shattered
Adjective
  • Needing space to host gallerists, curators and visitors that felt more finished than his original studio, Herman asked Fisher to design a space to showcase his art, using many of the same principles as the original house.
    — Marissa Gluck, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Yu has optioned the original screenplay for psychological horror Elise by Guyanese Canadian screenwriter Amir Bacchus; attached Chris Alexander to direct, and also sealed a deal for Equinoxe Films to release the finished film in Canada.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of finished

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 8 Oct. 2026.

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