Wiktionary

ruin

See also: Ruin, rùin, rúin, and ruín

English

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Ruins at Delphi in Greece

Etymology

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From Middle English ruyne, ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“I fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).

Pronunciation

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  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /ˈɹuː.ɪn/, [ˈɹuwɪn]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -uːɪn

Noun

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ruin (countable and uncountable, plural ruins)

  1. (countable, sometimes in the plural) The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
    • 1705, J[oseph] Addison, Remarks on Several Parts of Italy, &c. in the Years 1701, 1702, 1703, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
      The Veian and the Gabian towirs shall fall, / And one promiscuous ruin cover all; / Nor, after length of years, a stone betray / The place where once the very ruins lay.
    • a. 1812, Joseph Stevens Buckminster, sermon:
      The labour of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Foreword”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      A canister of flour from the kitchen had been thrown at the looking-glass and lay like trampled snow over the remains of a decent blue suit with the lining ripped out which lay on top of the ruin of a plastic wardrobe.
    • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Eden Prime:
      Dr. Manuel: No one is saved. The age of humanity is ended. Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain.
    • 2024, David Golinkin, “Naḥem On Tisha B'Av: Is It Permissible To Change The Wording?”, in Responsa in a Moment, volume 4, page 136:
      Not only is Jerusalem not a ruin, but she is at the height of her glory compared to all of Jewish history!
  2. (uncountable) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
    The monastery has fallen into ruin.
  3. (uncountable) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
    Gambling has been the ruin of many.
  4. The act of ruining something.
  5. (obsolete) A fall or tumble.
  6. A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow.
    the ruin of a ship or an army
    the ruin of a constitution or a government
    the ruin of health or hopes
    • 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 2:
      Oh Portius, is there not some choſen Curſe,
      Some hidden Thunder in the Stores of Heav’n,
      Red with uncommon Wrath, to blaſt the Man
      Who owes his Greatneſs to his Country’s Ruin?
    • 1768, Thomas Gray, The Bard:
      Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!
  7. (uncountable) Complete financial loss; bankruptcy.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Verb

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ruin (third-person singular simple present ruins, present participle ruining, simple past and past participle ruined or (dialectal, nonstandard) ruint)

  1. (transitive) To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business.
    With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!
  2. To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable.
    He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. To reveal the ending of (a story); to spoil.
  6. (obsolete) To fall into a state of decay.
    • 1636, George Sandys, Paraphrase upon the Psalmes and upon the Hymnes dispersed throughout the Old and New Testaments:
      Though he his house of polisht marble build, / Yet shall it ruine like the Moth's fraile cell
  7. (transitive, historical) To seduce or debauch, and thus harm the social standing of.
    The young libertine was notorious for ruining local girls.

Synonyms

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Antonyms

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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Asturian

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈrwin/ [ˈrwĩŋ]

Adjective

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ruin m sg (feminine singular ruina, neuter singular ruino, masculine plural ruinos, feminine plural ruines)

  1. weedy

Dutch

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Etymology

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From Middle Dutch rûun. Cognate with Middle Low German rûne, Middle High German rūn. Further origin unknown; possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(H)rewH- (“to dig out, rip off”).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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ruin m (plural ruinen, diminutive ruintje n)

  1. gelding (castrated male horse)

Derived terms

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See also

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Norwegian Bokmål

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Etymology

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From Latin ruina.

Noun

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ruin m (definite singular ruinen, indefinite plural ruiner, definite plural ruinene)

  1. ruin (often in plural form when referring to buildings)

References

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Norwegian Nynorsk

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Etymology

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From Latin ruina.

Noun

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ruin m (definite singular ruinen, indefinite plural ruinar, definite plural ruinane)

  1. ruin (often in plural form when referring to buildings)

References

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Spanish

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Etymology

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From an earlier *ruino, from ruina, or from a Vulgar Latin root *ruīnus, ultimately from Latin ruīna. Compare Portuguese ruim, Catalan roí. The lack of a final /-o/ may suggest a borrowing.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈrwin/ [ˈrwĩn]
  • Rhymes: -in
  • Syllabification: ruin

Adjective

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ruin m or f (masculine and feminine plural ruines)

  1. contemptible, mean, heartless
    Synonyms: vil, despreciable
  2. mean, stingy
    Synonyms: avaro, mezquino, tacaño, usurero, agarrado, cicatero
  3. wild; unruly
    Synonyms: salvaje, agresto
  4. rachitic
    Synonym: raquítico

Derived terms

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Further reading

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Swedish

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Noun

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ruin c

  1. a ruin (remains of a building)
  2. ruin (financial bankruptcy)

Declension

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Declension of ruin
nominative genitive
singular indefinite ruin ruins
definite ruinen ruinens
plural indefinite ruiner ruiners
definite ruinerna ruinernas

Derived terms

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References

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Anagrams

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Tetum

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Etymology

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From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *duRi (“thorn, splinter, fish bone”), akin to Agutaynen doli and Malay duri (“thorn”).

Noun

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ruin

  1. bone
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