Definition of ruin
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to damage irreparably
b
: bankrupt, impoverish
ruined by stock speculation
2
: to subject to frustration, failure, or disaster
will ruin your chances of promotion
: to become ruined
ruin
nounDefinition of ruin (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: 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 templethe ruins of his life
2
: a ruined building, person, or object
4a
: physical, moral, economic, or social collapse
b
archaic
: a falling down : collapse
from age to age … the crash of ruin fitfully resounds— William Wordsworth
5
: a cause of destruction
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for ruin
The first known use of ruin was in the 12th century
See more words from the same century