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Ruin Definition

ruin

See also Ruin

Contents

English

Ruins at Delphi in Greece

Etymology

From Middle English ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruina (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruere (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).

Pronunciation

Noun

ruin (plural ruins)

  1. (countable) construction withered by time.
  2. (uncountable) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
    The monastery has fallen into ruin.
  3. (uncountable) Something which leads to serious troubles.
    Gambling has been the ruin to many.

Verb

ruin (third-person singular simple present ruins, present participle ruining, simple past and past participle ruined)

  1. (transitive) to cause the ruin of.
    • 1883: Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
      In one way, indeed, he bade fair to ruin us; for he kept on staying week after week, and at last month after month, so that all the money had been long exhausted...
  2. To destroy or make something no longer be able to be for good use.
    He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
  3. To mess up the plans or progress of, or to put into disarray; to spoil.
    My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation.

Synonyms

Translations

to cause the ruin of

External links

Dutch

Pronunciation

Noun

ruin m. (plural ruinen, diminutive ruintje)

  1. gelding

See also

Swedish

Noun

ruin c.

  1. a ruin (remains of a building)
  2. ruin (financial bankruptcy)

Declension

Declension of ruin
singular plural
Common indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative ruin ruinen ruiner ruinerna
genitive ruins ruinens ruiners ruinernas

Related terms

 

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