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
: to become ruined
ruiner
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
4
a
: physical, moral, economic, or social collapse
b
archaic
: a falling down : collapse
from age to age … the crash of ruin fitfully resounds—
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth5
: 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
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2025
Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
On May 25, 2010, Leake made his fateful first trip to the country whose music scene would prove his destiny and his possible ruin.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2025
There is nothing that can ruin trying to sleep through a redeye like the sunrise hitting your face.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
Last week, Vance Simkins’s meltdown at the Top Christ Following Man event seemed to have squashed his ambition to expose the Gemstones and bring his ministry back from financial ruin.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
On May 25, 2010, Leake made his fateful first trip to the country whose music scene would prove his destiny and his possible ruin.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruin
Cite this Entry
“Ruin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruin. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ruin
1 of 2 noun
ru·in
ˈrü-ən 
-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 verb1
: to reduce to ruins
2
a
: to damage beyond repair
b
ruiner
noun
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