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   ruin

   /ˈruːɪn/

   noun

   • 1. the physical destruction or disintegration of something or the state of disintegrating or being destroyed: "a large white house falling into gentle ruin" Similar disintegrationdecaydisrepairdilapidationfalling to piecesdecrepituderuinationdestructiondevastationdamagedemolitionwreckageOpposite reconstructionpreservation
   • ▪ the remains of a building, typically an old one that has suffered much damage or disintegration: "the ruins of the castle" Similar remainsremnantsfragmentsrelicsremainderrubbledebrisdetrituswreckagewreck
   • ▪ the disastrous disintegration of someone's life: "the ruin and heartbreak wrought by alcohol, divorce, and violence" Similar bankruptcyinsolvencypenurypovertydestitutionimpoverishmentindigencebeggaryfinancial failuredisastercatastrophecalamityrare:pauperismpauperdommendicityOpposite wealthsuccess
   • ▪ the complete loss of one's money and other assets: "the financial cost could mean ruin" Similar bankruptcyinsolvencypenurypovertydestitutionimpoverishmentindigencebeggaryfinancial failuredisastercatastrophecalamityrare:pauperismpauperdommendicityOpposite wealthsuccess
   • ▪ something that causes the disintegration of a person's life or the complete loss of their assets: "they don't know how to say no, and that's been their ruin"

   verb

   • 1. reduce (a building or place) to a state of decay, collapse, or disintegration: "the castle was ruined when dynamite was used to demolish one of the corner towers" Similar destroydevastatelay wasteleave in ruinswreak havoc onravageleave desolaterazedemolishblastwreckwipe outflattenlevelcrusharchaic:wasteOpposite rebuildrepair
   • ▪ cause great and usually irreparable damage or harm to; have a disastrous effect on: "a noisy motorway has ruined village life" Similar wreckdestroydevastatewreak havoc onreduce to nothingdamagespoilmarinjureblastblightsmashshatterdashtorpedoscotchmake a mess ofmess upsabotagepoisoninformal:louse upscrew upfoul upput the kibosh onbanjaxdo forblow a hole innixqueerscuppercock updishmullereuchrecruelvulgar slang:fuck uparchaic:bring to naughtOpposite restoresave
   • ▪ reduce to a state of poverty: "they were ruined by the highest interest rates this century" Similar bankruptmake bankruptcause to go bankruptmake insolventimpoverishreduce to penury/destitutionbring to ruinbring someone to their kneeswipe outbreakcripplerare:pauperizebeggar
   • 2. fall headlong or with a crash: literary "carriages go ruining over the brink from time to time"

   Word Origin Middle English (in the sense ‘collapse of a building’): from Old French ruine, from Latin ruina, from ruere ‘to fall’.

   Scrabble Points: 4

   • R

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   • U

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   • I

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   • N

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