ruin
/ruin/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- Complete destruction or collapse: The state of being destroyed, decayed, or fallen apart, often beyond repair.
- The cause of such destruction: A person, event, or action that causes a downfall or collapse.
- The remains of a destroyed structure: The physical remnants of something that has been destroyed, especially ancient buildings.
- A state of financial or moral collapse: A condition of severe loss, bankruptcy, or disgrace.
Verb:
- To destroy or damage severely: To cause something to be completely destroyed or to fall into a state of decay.
- To cause financial or social downfall: To reduce someone to a state of bankruptcy, poverty, or disgrace.
- To spoil or damage irreparably: To severely harm the quality, value, or state of something, making it useless or ineffective.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- The abandoned castle was a picturesque ruin. (The abandoned castle was a picturesque destroyed building.)
- His addiction was the ruin of his career. (His addiction was the cause of his career's collapse.)
- The archaeologists studied the ancient ruins. (The archaeologists studied the ancient destroyed remains.)
Verb:
- The heavy rain will ruin the picnic. (The heavy rain will spoil the picnic.)
- Poor investments ruined him financially. (Poor investments caused his financial downfall.)
- The scandal ruined the politician's reputation. (The scandal destroyed the politician's reputation.)
Advanced Usage
"to be/lie in ruins": to be completely destroyed or in a state of collapse.
- After the earthquake, the city lay in ruins. (After the earthquake, the city was completely destroyed.)
"to go to rack and ruin": to fall into a state of disrepair or decay through neglect.
- The old mansion went to rack and ruin after the family moved away. (The old mansion fell into decay after the family moved away.)
"to be the ruin of someone/something": to be the cause of someone's or something's destruction or downfall.
- That deal was the ruin of the company. (That deal was the cause of the company's destruction.)
Variants and Related Words
- Ruination (n): The action or process of bringing about ruin; destruction.
- The war led to the ruination of the economy.
- Ruined (adj): Having been irreparably damaged or destroyed.
- They walked through the ruined village.
- Ruinous (adj): Causing or likely to cause ruin; disastrous.
- The project had ruinous costs.
Synonyms
- Destroy: To end the existence of something by damaging or attacking it.
- Wreck: To destroy or severely damage something.
- Devastate: To destroy or ruin something completely.
- Bankrupt: To reduce to a state of financial ruin.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Ruin something for someone: To spoil an experience or opportunity for someone.
- His loud complaining ruined the movie for everyone else. (His loud complaining spoiled the movie experience for everyone else.)
Related Idioms
- "A fool and his money are soon parted": This implies that unwise spending leads to financial ruin.
- He bought another expensive car he can't afford. A fool and his money are soon parted. (His unwise spending will lead to his financial ruin.)
Noun
- destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
- failure that results in a loss of position or reputation
- an event that results in destruction
- the process of becoming dilapidated
- a ruined building
- they explored several Roman ruins
- an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
- you have brought ruin on this entire family
Verb
- fall into ruin
- deprive of virginity
- This dirty old man deflowered several young girls in the village
- reduce to ruins
- The country lay ruined after the war
- reduce to bankruptcy
- My daughter's fancy wedding is going to break me!
- The slump in the financial markets smashed him
- destroy or cause to fail
- This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election
- destroy completely; damage irreparably
- You have ruined my car by pouring sugar in the tank!
- The tears ruined her make-up