亚洲网紅露点

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View synonyms for

ruin

[ roo-in ]

noun

  1. ruins, the remains of a building, city, etc., that has been destroyed or that is in disrepair or a state of decay:

    We visited the ruins of ancient Greece.

  2. a destroyed or decayed building, town, etc.
  3. a fallen, wrecked, or decayed condition:

    The building fell to ruin.

  4. the downfall, decay, or destruction of anything.

    Synonyms: , , ,

    Antonyms: ,

  5. the complete loss of health, means, position, hope, or the like.
  6. something that causes a downfall or destruction; blight:

    Alcohol was his ruin.

  7. the downfall of a person; undoing:

    Fate decreed the ruin of Oedipus.

  8. a person as the wreck of their former self; ravaged individual.
  9. the act of causing destruction or a downfall.


verb (used with object)

  1. to reduce to a fallen, wrecked, or decayed condition; devastate.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. to bring (a person, company, etc.) to financial destruction; bankrupt.
  3. to damage, spoil, or injure (a thing) irretrievably:

    Not only was the burned stew inedible, but I had absolutely ruined one of my favorite pots.

  4. Older Use. to induce (a woman) to surrender her virginity; deflower.

verb (used without object)

  1. to fall into decay; fall to pieces.
  2. to come to downfall or destruction.

ruin

/ 藞谤耻藧瑟苍 /

noun

  1. destroyed or decayed building or town
  2. the state or condition of being destroyed or decayed
  3. loss of wealth, position, etc, or something that causes such loss; downfall
  4. something that is severely damaged

    his life was a ruin

  5. a person who has suffered a downfall, bankruptcy, etc
  6. loss of value or usefulness
  7. archaic.
    loss of her virginity by a woman outside marriage
鈥淐ollins English Dictionary 鈥 Complete & Unabridged鈥 2012 Digital Edition 漏 William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 漏 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to bring to ruin; destroy
  2. tr to injure or spoil

    the town has been ruined with tower blocks

  3. archaic.
    intr to fall into ruins; collapse
鈥淐ollins English Dictionary 鈥 Complete & Unabridged鈥 2012 Digital Edition 漏 William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 漏 HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Derived Forms

  • 藞谤耻颈苍别谤, noun
  • 藞谤耻颈苍补产濒别, adjective
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Other 亚洲网紅露点 Forms

  • 谤耻顎僫苍路补路产濒别 adjective
  • 谤耻顎僫苍路别谤 noun
  • 丑补濒蹿顎-谤耻顎僫苍别诲 adjective
  • non路谤耻顎僫苍路补路产濒别 adjective
  • 蝉别濒蹿顎-谤耻顎僫苍 noun
  • 蝉别濒蹿顎-谤耻顎僫苍ed adjective
  • un路谤耻顎僫苍路补路产濒别 adjective
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亚洲网紅露点 History and Origins

Origin of ruin1

First recorded in 1325鈥75; Middle English noun rueyne, ruyen, from Middle French ruwine, from Latin 谤耻墨苍补 鈥渉eadlong rush, fall, collapse,鈥 equivalent to ruere 鈥渢o fall鈥 + -墨苍补 feminine singular of suffix -墨苍耻蝉; ; verb ultimately derivative of the noun; -ine 2
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亚洲网紅露点 History and Origins

Origin of ruin1

C14: from Old French ruine , from Latin 谤耻墨苍补 a falling down, from ruere to fall violently
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Idioms and Phrases

see rack and ruin .
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Synonym Study

Ruin, destruction, havoc imply irrevocable and often widespread damage. Destruction may be on a large or small scale ( destruction of tissue, of enemy vessels ); it emphasizes particularly the act of destroying, while ruin and havoc emphasize the resultant state. Ruin, from the verb meaning to fall to pieces, suggests a state of decay or disintegration (or an object in that state) that is apt to be more the result of the natural processes of time and change than of sudden violent activity from without: The house has fallen to ruins. Only in its figurative application is it apt to suggest the result of destruction from without: the ruin of her hopes. Havoc, originally a cry that served as the signal for pillaging, has changed its reference from that of spoliation to devastation, being used particularly of the destruction following in the wake of natural calamities: the havoc wrought by flood and pestilence. Today it is used figuratively to refer to the destruction of hopes and plans: This sudden turn of events played havoc with her carefully laid designs. See spoil.
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A university lecturer, who requested anonymity, told the BBC how her husband had lied about his qualifications and eventually left her in financial ruin.

From

Other myths claim women have small hands, making them unable to shape sushi, and warmer hands, which ruins the texture of the rice and fish that they鈥檙e handling.

From

"We are just trying to find a way out of this terrible crisis which was created by the previous American administration. They ruined many things."

From

Americans are largely welcomed with open arms and warm hospitality when they visit Mexico鈥檚 vibrant cities, archaeological ruins and vast beaches.

From

Everyone talks about me ruining Van Halen 鈥 the Roth fans or the people that just will not let go of that era 鈥 but I had nothing to do with nothing.

From

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More About Ruin

What does听ruin mean?

Ruin is most commonly used as a verb meaning to destroy or spoil.

As a noun, ruin means the remains of a destroyed or decayed place, especially a half-standing building or city. It is most commonly used in the plural, as in ancient ruins.听

Example: I feel like the once-quiet atmosphere of the ancient ruins has been ruined by the presence of too many tourists and commercial vendors.

Where does听ruin come from?

The first records of ruin in English come from around the 1300s. Ruin comes from the Latin 谤耻墨苍补, meaning 鈥渉eadlong rush, fall, or collapse.鈥 搁耻墨苍补 is equivalent to the Latin verb ru(ere), 鈥漷o fall.鈥

The ruins of a structure or town are what remains of it after it has fallen, collapsed, been destroyed, or been left unmaintained for a long time. The word is most often used in the context of ancient ruins like those in Greece and Rome. However, ruin can also be applied to more recently abandoned structures or towns, such as a derelict factory. It can also be applied in a metaphorical way, as in My life will be a ruin if I lose you.听

As a verb, ruin can refer to the destruction of physical things, as in The earthquake ruined half the city. But it is also commonly used to refer to spoiling nonphysical things, as in If you two keep arguing, you鈥檙e going to ruin the birthday party! More specifically, it can mean 鈥渢o bankrupt a person or wreck their finances,鈥 as in A lot of people were ruined when the market crashed.听听

Ruin is often used in the phrase rack and ruin. Both words actually mean about the same thing鈥rack means 鈥渄estruction,鈥 and is a variant of the word wrack.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to ruin?

  • ruins (plural)
  • ruined (adjective)
  • half-ruined (adjective)
  • ruinable (adjective)
  • nonruinable (adjective)
  • ruiner (noun)

What are some synonyms for ruin?

What are some words that share a root or word element with ruin?听

What are some words that often get used in discussing ruin?

How is听ruin used in real life?

As a verb, ruin is commonly used to refer to the destruction of both physical and abstract things. As a noun, it鈥檚 most often used in the plural to refer to the remains of ancient civilizations.

Try using听ruin!

Is ruin used correctly in the following sentence?

Unfortunately, this storm has ruined our plans to visit the ruins.

Definitions and idiom definitions from 亚洲网紅露点 Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 漏 Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage庐 Idioms Dictionary copyright 漏 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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