Ruin
verb / nounBase ruin · Past ruined · Past Participle ruined · Present Participle ruining · 3rd person ruins
Definition
1. (verb) To damage or spoil something so badly that it is no longer good, useful, or enjoyable.
2. (verb) To cause someone to lose all their money, power, or reputation.
3. (noun) The state of being completely destroyed or having lost everything — total collapse.
4. (noun) The remains of a building or structure that has been destroyed or has fallen apart over time.
2. (verb) To cause someone to lose all their money, power, or reputation.
3. (noun) The state of being completely destroyed or having lost everything — total collapse.
4. (noun) The remains of a building or structure that has been destroyed or has fallen apart over time.
Context Alive
You spent the whole morning preparing a surprise birthday cake for your best friend. Three layers, homemade frosting, little candles on top — it looked perfect. Then your dog jumped on the kitchen counter and knocked the whole thing onto the floor. You stood there staring at the mess, knowing hours of work were completely ruined. You ended up buying a cake from the supermarket on the way to the party and pretending that was the plan all along.
Meanings
4 meanings 1 To Damage or Spoil Something Badly (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about destroying the quality, value, or enjoyment of something — making it useless, ugly, or no longer worth having. Imagine wearing your brand-new white trainers to a festival and stepping straight into a mud puddle — completely ruined within the first hour. This is describing damage that can't easily be undone — the thing is spoiled beyond repair or recovery. You might say "the rain ruined our picnic" when a storm hit just as you sat down to eat, or someone could complain that "spoilers ruined the film for me" because they already knew the ending. Or think about a child drawing with permanent marker all over a leather sofa — that sofa is ruined. The word suggests the damage is serious and usually irreversible.
✏️ Ruin is stronger than "damage" or "spoil." Damage suggests something can be fixed. Spoil suggests something is less enjoyable. But ruin means it's done — beyond saving. People also use it dramatically in everyday life: "you're ruining my life" is something teenagers say to their parents at least once a week.
2 To Destroy Someone Financially or Socially (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about causing someone to lose everything — their money, their reputation, or their position in life. Imagine a business owner who invested everything into a restaurant that failed after three months — the debt ruined him financially and he lost his house. This is describing a total collapse of someone's life, career, or standing. You might hear that "the scandal ruined his political career" about a politician caught lying, or someone could say "one bad investment ruined them" about a family that lost all their savings. Or think about a celebrity whose reputation is ruined overnight after a video goes viral for all the wrong reasons. The word suggests complete destruction — not just a setback, but a fall from which recovery is extremely difficult.
✏️ When ruin is used about people, it often involves money or reputation. "Financially ruined" means someone has lost everything. "Ruined reputation" means their public image is destroyed. In older English, saying a woman was "ruined" had a very specific social meaning — it's outdated now but you might come across it in period dramas or classic novels.
3 The State of Total Destruction or Collapse (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about the condition of being completely destroyed — when something has fallen apart entirely. Imagine a once-successful company that made a series of terrible decisions and is now bankrupt with no employees left — the company is in ruin. This is describing a state of total collapse — nothing is left of what was there before. You might read that "years of neglect left the building in ruin" about an abandoned hospital covered in broken glass and graffiti, or someone could say "the war brought the country to ruin" about a nation that was destroyed by conflict. Or think about someone looking at their life after a divorce, losing their job, and being in massive debt — everything feels like it's in ruin. The word suggests devastation and emptiness.
✏️ Common phrases are "in ruin", "fall into ruin", and "bring to ruin." The expression "the ruin of" is also powerful: "Gambling was the ruin of him" — meaning it was the single thing that destroyed his life. It sounds dramatic but people use it in everyday conversation too.
4 The Remains of a Destroyed Building (Noun) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about what's left of a building or structure after it has been destroyed or has crumbled over centuries — walls, columns, foundations that are still standing but no longer intact. Imagine visiting Greece and walking through the ruins of an ancient temple — broken columns, cracked stone floors, doorways that lead to open sky. This is describing physical remains that tell the story of something that once existed. You might visit the ruins of a medieval castle on a hilltop during a holiday in Scotland, or a documentary could show the ruins of a city destroyed by a volcanic eruption thousands of years ago. Or think about driving through a ghost town and seeing the ruins of old shops and houses — roofs caved in, windows shattered, nature taking over. The word suggests history, decay, and something that was once impressive but now exists only as fragments.
✏️ This meaning is almost always used in the plural — ruins. You visit "the ruins," you explore "ancient ruins," you walk through "the ruins of a castle." The singular ruin is used for the abstract state (meaning 3), while the plural ruins is used for physical remains. Visiting ruins is one of the most popular tourist activities in Europe.
Common Patterns
Damage / Spoil
ruin + noun → to destroy or spoil something directly
The coffee stain ruined my favourite shirt.
completely / totally / absolutely ruined → adding emphasis — the damage is total
The surprise was completely ruined when he found the present early.
Financial / Social Destruction
ruin someone's career / reputation / life → to destroy an important part of someone's existence
The false accusation nearly ruined her career.
financially ruined → having lost all money and resources
They were financially ruined after the business collapsed.
State of Collapse / Physical Remains
in ruin(s) → in a state of total destruction
The city lay in ruins after the bombing.
fall into ruin → to gradually decay and collapse over time
The old manor house had fallen into ruin after decades of neglect.
the ruins of + noun → what remains of a destroyed building or place
We explored the ruins of a Roman fort near the coast.
Collocations
10 collocationsruin someone's life
to destroy the quality of someone's entire existence
ruin someone's reputation
to permanently damage how others see someone
ruin the surprise
to accidentally reveal a planned surprise
ancient ruins
the physical remains of very old buildings or cities
fall into ruin
to gradually decay and collapse from neglect
lie in ruins
to be completely destroyed — often used after wars or disasters
financial ruin
the state of having lost all money and being bankrupt
the ruin of someone
the single thing that destroyed a person's life
reduce to ruins
to destroy completely — nothing left standing
explore the ruins
to walk through and look at the remains of old buildings
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
The heavy rain ruined the outdoor wedding — everything was soaked.
The downpour destroyed the outdoor wedding — every single thing got drenched.
2
One careless comment can ruin a friendship that took years to build.
A single thoughtless remark can destroy a friendship that was built over many years.
3
The scandal ruined his reputation and he was forced to resign from his position.
The scandal destroyed his public image and he had no choice but to step down.
4
We spent the afternoon exploring the ruins of a medieval castle overlooking the sea.
We passed the afternoon walking through what was left of an old castle with a view of the ocean.
5
Years of bad management brought the company to ruin.
The company collapsed completely after years of poor leadership.
6
Don't ruin the ending for me — I haven't seen the film yet.
Don't spoil the ending — I still haven't watched the film.
7
The earthquake left the entire neighbourhood in ruins.
The earthquake completely destroyed every building in the neighbourhood.
8
Gambling was the ruin of him — he lost his house, his savings, and his family.
Gambling destroyed his life — he ended up losing his home, his money, and his family.
9
She accidentally ruined the cake by using salt instead of sugar.
She destroyed the cake by mistake when she grabbed the salt instead of the sugar.
10
The old factory has fallen into ruin — nobody has set foot in it for twenty years.
The old factory has completely decayed — no one has been inside it for two decades.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsdestroy
stronger and more total — implies nothing is left at all
wreck
informal and dramatic — often used for physical objects or plans
spoil
milder — suggests something is less good rather than completely destroyed
Antonymsrestore
to bring something back to its original condition — the opposite of letting it fall apart
preserve
to protect something from damage or decay — keeping it safe
save
to rescue something from destruction — preventing ruin