ruin | Lernwerd

Forms

1.The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
- Dr. Manuel: No one is saved. The age of humanity is ended. Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain.
- The labour of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.
- Not only is Jerusalem not a ruin, but she is at the height of her glory compared to all of Jewish history!
2.Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
- Gambling has been the ruin of many.
- The errors of young men are the ruin of business.
- The Bat, they called him the Bat.[…]. He[…]played a lone hand,[…]. Most lone wolves had a moll at any rate, women were their ruin, but if the Bat had a moll, not even the grapevine telegraph could locate her.
3.The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
- The monastery has fallen into ruin.
4.The act of ruining something.

1.To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable.
- He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
2.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.
3.To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business.
- With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!
- In one way, indeed, he bade fair to ruin us; for he kept on staying week after week, and at last month after month, so that all the money had been long exhausted..
4.To destroy (e.g. a city) so as to leave ruins.
- By the fireside there are old men seated, / Seeing ruined cities in the ashes.

Uncommon· #3158

From Middle English ruyne, ruine

From Old French ruine

From Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”)

From ruō (“to fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).