“ruins” is a form of
ruin
/ˈɹuː.ɪn/ noun, verb
Forms ruins ruining ruined ruint
- noun (countable, sometimes in the plural) The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
- noun (uncountable) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed. “The monastery has fallen into ruin.”
- noun (uncountable) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction. “Gambling has been the ruin of many.”
- noun The act of ruining something.
- noun (obsolete) A fall or tumble.
- noun A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow. “the ruin of a ship or an army”
- noun (uncountable) Complete financial loss; bankruptcy.
- verb (transitive) To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business. “With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!”
- verb To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable. “He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.”
- verb To destroy (e.g. a city) so as to leave ruins.
- verb To upset or overturn the plans or progress of, or to have a disastrous effect on something. “My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation.”
- verb To make something less enjoyable or likeable. “I used to love that song, but being assaulted when that song was playing ruined the song for me.”
- verb (BDSM) To make (someone) have a ruined orgasm.
- verb To reveal the ending of (a story); to spoil.
- verb (obsolete) To fall into a state of decay.
Synonyms
wreckage beggar destitute pauperize depauperate depauperize embeggar empoverish immiserate impoor impoverish poor poverish destroy fordo ruinate annihilate aerosolize atomize benothing ruination dilapidation downfall laying waste ruining wrecking bankrupt break smash deflower
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The act of falling or tumbling down; fall. [Obs.] "His ruin startled the other steeds." Chapman.
- noun Such a change of anything as destroys it, or entirely defeats its object, or unfits it for use; destruction; overthrow; as, the ruin of a ship or an army; the ruin of a constitution or a government; the ruin of health or hopes. "Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!" Gray.
- verb To bring to ruin; to cause to fall to pieces and decay; to make to perish; to bring to destruction; to bring to poverty or bankruptcy; to impair seriously; to damage essentially; to overthrow.
- verb To fall to ruins; to go to ruin; to become decayed or dilapidated; to perish. [R.]
Etymology [OE. ruine, F. ruine, fr. L. ruina, fr. ruere, rutum, to fall with violence, to rush or tumble down.]
Etymology [Cf. F. ruiner, LL. ruinare. See Ruin, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “ruin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details