RUIN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does ruin mean? 

• RUIN (noun)
  The noun RUIN has 6 senses:

1. an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

2. a ruined building

3. the process of becoming dilapidated

4. an event that results in destruction

5. failure that results in a loss of position or reputation

6. destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined

  Familiarity information: RUIN used as a noun is common.

• RUIN (verb)
  The verb RUIN has 6 senses:

1. destroy completely; damage irreparably

2. destroy or cause to fail

3. reduce to bankruptcy

4. reduce to ruins

5. deprive of virginity

6. fall into ruin

  Familiarity information: RUIN used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RUIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

ruin; ruination

Context example:

you have brought ruin on this entire family

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

desolation; devastation (the state of being decayed or destroyed)

Derivation:

ruin (destroy completely; damage irreparably)

ruinous (extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A ruined building

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Context example:

they explored several Roman ruins

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

building; edifice (a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place)

Derivation:

ruin (fall into ruin)

ruin (reduce to ruins)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The process of becoming dilapidated

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural processes

Synonyms:

dilapidation; ruin

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

decay (the process of gradually becoming inferior)

Derivation:

ruin (fall into ruin)

Sense 4

Meaning:

An event that results in destruction

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

ruin; ruination

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

demolition; destruction; wipeout (an event (or the result of an event) that completely destroys something)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ruin"):

desolation; devastation (an event that results in total destruction)

shipwreck (an irretrievable loss)

Derivation:

ruin (destroy completely; damage irreparably)

ruinous (extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Failure that results in a loss of position or reputation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

downfall; ruin; ruination

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

failure (an event that does not accomplish its intended purpose)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "ruin"):

finish (the downfall of someone (as of persons on one side of a conflict))

Derivation:

ruin (destroy or cause to fail)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

laying waste; ruin; ruination; ruining; wrecking

Hypernyms ("ruin" is a kind of...):

destruction; devastation (the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists)

Derivation:

ruin (reduce to ruins)

ruin (destroy completely; damage irreparably)

• RUIN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they ruin    ... he / she / it ruins   
Past simple: ruined   
Past participle: ruined   
-ing form: ruining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Destroy completely; damage irreparably

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

destroy; ruin

Context example:

The tears ruined her make-up

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ruin"):

get (overcome or destroy)

wash out (wear or destroy by the force of water)

kick down; kick in (open violently)

bust up; wrack; wreck (smash or break forcefully)

shipwreck (destroy a ship)

consume (destroy completely)

explode (destroy by exploding)

despoil; plunder; rape; spoil; violate (destroy and strip of its possession)

devour; subvert (destroy completely)

do a job on (destroy completely or make ugly or useless)

vandalise; vandalize (destroy wantonly, as through acts of vandalism)

break; bust (ruin completely)

break (find a flaw in)

harry; ravage (make a pillaging or destructive raid on (a place), as in wartimes)

desolate; devastate; lay waste to; ravage; scourge; waste (cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly)

burn; burn down; fire (destroy by fire)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

ruin; ruining (destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined)

ruiner (a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to)

ruination (destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined)

ruin (an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction)

ruin (an event that results in destruction)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Destroy or cause to fail

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

This behavior will ruin your chances of winning the election

Hypernyms (to "ruin" is one way to...):

baffle; bilk; cross; foil; frustrate; queer; scotch; spoil; thwart (hinder or prevent (the efforts, plans, or desires) of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "ruin"):

undo (cause the ruin or downfall of)

break (cause the failure or ruin of)

shipwreck (ruin utterly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

ruin (failure that results in a loss of position or reputation)

ruiner (a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Reduce to bankruptcy

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

bankrupt; break; ruin; smash

Context example:

The slump in the financial markets smashed him

Hypernyms (to "ruin" is one way to...):

impoverish (make poor)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 4

Meaning:

Reduce to ruins

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The country lay ruined after the war

Hypernyms (to "ruin" is one way to...):

desolate; devastate; lay waste to; ravage; scourge; waste (cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

ruin (destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined)

ruin (a ruined building)

ruination (an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction)

ruiner (a person who destroys or ruins or lays waste to)

ruining (destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Deprive of virginity

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

deflower; ruin

Context example:

This dirty old man deflowered several young girls in the village

Hypernyms (to "ruin" is one way to...):

copulate; couple; mate; pair (engage in sexual intercourse)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 6

Meaning:

Fall into ruin

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "ruin" is one way to...):

crumble; decay; dilapidate (fall into decay or ruin)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

ruin (a ruined building)

ruin (the process of becoming dilapidated)

 Context examples 

It would be social ruin, he protested.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Would not such another ruin you?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

I'll ruin him, if you do.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It is even possible that the train of my ideas would never have received the fatal impulse that led to my ruin.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

It would be to ruin the work of three months.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“It is I,” she said, “the woman whose life you have ruined.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Those vile sea-breezes are the ruin of beauty and health.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

But when Gayelette came running out to him she found his silks and velvet all ruined by the river.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

But the many whose lives he had ruined, whose nearest and dearest had suffered torture and death at his hands, would not let the matter rest.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Nor did he mind, in the course of learning to ride the wheel home, the fact that he ruined his suit of clothes.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)