ruin
pronunciation
How to pronounce ruin in British English:
UK [ˈruːɪn]
How to pronounce ruin in American English:
US [ˈruːɪn]
-
- Noun:
- an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
- a ruined building
- the process of becoming dilapidated
- an event that results in destruction
- failure that results in a loss of position or reputation
- destruction achieved by wrecking something
-
- Verb:
- destroy completely; damage irreparably
- destroy or cause to fail
- reduce to bankruptcy
- reduce to ruins
- deprive of virginity
- fall into ruin
Word Origin
- ruin
- ruin: [14] If something is ruined, etymologically it has simply ‘fallen down’. The word’s ultimate ancestor is Latin ruere ‘fall, crumble’ (source also of English congruent). From it was derived the noun ruīna ‘fall’, which passed into English via Old French ruine.=> congruent
- ruin (n.)
- late 14c., "act of giving way and falling down," from Old French ruine "a collapse" (14c.), and directly from Latin ruina "a collapse, a rushing down, a tumbling down" (source also of Spanish ruina, Italian rovina), related to ruere "to rush, fall violently, collapse," from PIE *reue- (2) "to smash, knock down, tear out, dig up" (see rough (adj.)). Meaning "complete destruction of anything" is from 1670s. Ruins "remains of a decayed building or town" is from mid-15c.; the same sense was in the Latin plural noun.
- ruin (v.)
- 1580s (transitive), from ruin (n.). Intransitive sense "fall into ruin" is from c. 1600. Financial sense is attested from 1660. Related: Ruined; ruining.
Example
- 1. A bad display url can ruin great ad copy .
- 2. They never let their audacity or tenacity drive them to ruin .
- 3. Now he has to drive gm away from ruin .
- 4. It sounds like a recipe for ruin .
- 5. Don 't let a bad smell ruin your day .