Ruin

• POS: Noun, Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Ruin, n. [OE. ruine, F. ruine, fr. L. ruina, fr. ruere, rutum, to fall with violence, to rush or tumble down.].

•  The act of falling or tumbling down; fall.  Chapman.  [1913 Webster]
•  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.  Gray.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is fallen down and become worthless from injury or decay; as, his mind is a ruin; especially, in the plural, the remains of a destroyed, dilapidated, or desolate house, fortress, city, or the like.  [1913 Webster]

  "The Veian and the Gabian towers shall fall,
  And one promiscuous ruin cover all;
  Nor, after length of years, a stone betray
  The place where once the very ruins lay."  [1913 Webster]

  "The labor of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character."  [1913 Webster]
•  The state of being dcayed, or of having become ruined or worthless; as, to be in ruins; to go to ruin.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which promotes injury, decay, or destruction.  [1913 Webster]

  "The errors of young men are the ruin of business."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Destruction; downfall; perdition; fall; overthrow; subversion; defeat; bane; pest; mischief.

Ruin, v. t. [Cf. F. ruiner, LL. ruinare. See Ruin, n.].

 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.  [1913 Webster]
"this mortal house I'll ruin."  [1913 Webster]
"By thee raised, I ruin all my foes."  [1913 Webster]
"The eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us."  [1913 Webster]
"By the fireside there are old men seated,
Seeling ruined cities in the ashes."  [1913 Webster]

Ruin, v. i. 

 To fall to ruins; to go to ruin; to become decayed or dilapidated; to perish.  [1913 Webster]
"Though he his house of polished marble build,
Yet shall it ruin like the moth's frail cell."  [1913 Webster]
"If we are idle, and disturb the industrious in their business, we shall ruin the faster."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Ruin, n. & v.
--n.
1 a destroyed or wrecked state.
2 a person's or thing's downfall or elimination (the ruin of my hopes).
3 a the complete loss of one's property or position (bring to ruin). b a person who has suffered ruin.
4 (in sing. or pl.) the remains of a building etc. that has suffered ruin (an old ruin; ancient ruins).
5 a cause of ruin (will be the ruin of us).
--v.
1 tr. a bring to ruin (your extravagance has ruined me). b utterly impair or wreck (the rain ruined my hat).
2 tr. (esp. as ruined adj.) reduce to ruins.
3 intr. poet. fall headlong or with a crash.

Idiom

in ruins
1 in a state of ruin.
2 completely wrecked (their hopes were in ruins).

Etymology

ME f. OF ruine f. L ruina f. ruere fall

DEVIL DICTIONARY

Ruin

v. To destroy. Specifically, to destroy a maid's belief in the virtue of maids.

THESAURUS

Ruin

Waterloo, abuse, afterglow, afterimage, ancient manuscript, annihilate, antique, antiquity, archaism, artifact, assault, atrophy, attack, baffle, balance, balk, bane, bankrupt, bankruptcy, barbarize, batter, beat, beat all hollow, beat hollow, beating, beggar, beldam, bereavement, best, betray, blast, blight, bloodbath, blue ruin, bollix up, botch, brave, break, break up, breakdown, breakup, bring to ruin, brutalize, burn, bust, butcher, butt, butt end, candle ends, carcass, carnage, carry on, cave painting, chaff, challenge, checkmate, circumvent, clean out, collapse, condemn, confound, confront, confusion, conquering, conquest, consume, consumption, contravene, corrupt, corrupting, corruption, cost, counter, counteract, countermand, counterwork, crash, crone, cross, crumbling, crush, curse, damage, damn, damnation, dash, dead loss, deal destruction, deathblow, debacle, debase, debasement, debasing, debauch, debit, debris, decadence, decay, deceive, decimate, decimation, declension, decline, deface, defeat, defile, defilement, defiling, defloration, deflower, deflowering, defy, degeneracy, degenerate, degeneration, degradation, degrading, demolish, denial, denudation, deplete, depredate, depredation, deprivation, desecrate, desolate, desolation, despoil, despoilment, despoliation, destroy, destroyer, destruction, detriment, detritus, devastate, devastation, devolution, devour, dilapidate, discomfit, disconcert, discountenance, disfigure, dish, dishonor, dishonoring, disintegration, disorganization, dispossession, disrepair, disrupt, disruption, dissolution, dissolve, divestment, do in, dodo, dotard, downfall, downgrade, drain, draw, drub, drubbing, elude, end, engorge, eolith, expense, fag end, failure, fall, filings, fix, flatten, flummox, foil, fold up, force, forfeit, forfeiture, fossil, fragments, frustrate, fuddy-duddy, gin, go on, gobble, gobble up, gut, gut with fire, hag, hammer, harm, havoc, hecatomb, hide, hiding, holdover, holocaust, hors de combat, hulk, hurt, husks, impair, impoverish, incinerate, injury, knock the chocks, lambaste, lambasting, lather, lathering, lay in ruins, lay waste, lead astray, leavings, leftovers, lick, licking, liquidation, loot, loser, losing, losing streak, loss, louse up, maim, mangle, mar, mastery, maul, mere wreck, mess up, mezzolith, microlith, mischief, mislead, mug, mutilate, nemesis, neolith, nervous wreck, nonplus, nullify, odds and ends, offscourings, old fogy, old geezer, orts, outclass, outdo, outfight, outgeneral, outmaneuver, outpoint, outrage, outrun, outsail, outshine, overcoming, overthrow, overturn, paleolith, parings, pauper, pauperize, perdition, perplex, petrification, petrified forest, petrified wood, petroglyph, pillage, plateaulith, play havoc with, play hob with, poison, privation, pulverize, put, quietus, rage, rags, ramp, rampage, rant, rape, rattletrap, ravage, rave, ravish, raze, refuse, relic, relics, reliquiae, remainder, remains, remnant, residue, residuum, rest, riot, roach, roar, robbery, rubbish, rubble, ruinate, ruination, ruins, rump, sabotage, sack, sacrifice, savage, sawdust, scotch, scourings, scraps, screw up, scuttle, seduce, seducing, seduction, settle, shadow, shambles, shatter, shavings, shipwreck, sink, skeleton, skin, skin alive, slaughter, smash, soil, sow chaos, spike, spoil, spoliate, spoliation, stonewall, storm, straw, stripping, stubble, stump, subdual, subduing, subjugation, sully, survival, swallow up, sweepings, taking away, tear, tear around, terrorize, thrash, thrashing, throw into disorder, thwart, total loss, trace, trim, trimming, triumph over, trounce, trouncing, uglify, unbuild, undo, undoing, unleash destruction, unleash the hurricane, unmake, upheave, upset, vandalism, vandalize, vanquishment, vaporize, vestige, violate, vitiate, vitiating, vitiation, waste, whip, whipping, wipe out, wiping out, witch, worst, wrack, wrack and ruin, wreak havoc, wreck, wreckage

ROGET THESAURUS

Ruin

Evil

N evil, ill, harm, hurt, mischief, nuisance, machinations of the devil, Pandora's box, ills that flesh is heir to, blow, buffet, stroke, scratch, bruise, wound, gash, mutilation, mortal blow, wound, immedicabile vulnus, damage, loss, disadvantage, prejudice, drawback, disaster, accident, casualty, mishap, bad job, devil to pay, calamity, bale, catastrophe, tragedy, ruin, adversity, mental suffering, demon, (Evil spirit) bane, (cause of evil), badness, (Production of Evil), painfulness, evil doer, outrage, wrong, injury, foul play, bad turn, ill turn, disservice, spoliation, grievance, crying evil, disastrous, bad, awry, out of joint, disadvantageous, amis, wrong, ill, to one's cost, moving accidents by flood and field.

Failure

N failure, nonsuccess, nonfulfillment, dead failure, successlessness, abortion, miscarriage, brutum fulmen, labor in vain, no go, inefficacy, inefficaciousness, vain attempt, ineffectual attempt, abortive attempt, abortive efforts, flash in the pan, lame and impotent conclusion, frustration, slip 'twixt cup and lip, blunder, fault, omission, miss, oversight, slip, trip, stumble, claudication, footfall, false step, wrong step, faux pas, titubation, b_evue, faute, lurch, botchery, scrape, mess, fiasco, breakdown, flunk, mishap, split, collapse, smash, blow, explosion, repulse, rebuff, defeat, rout, overthrow, discomfiture, beating, drubbing, quietus, nonsuit, subjugation, checkmate, stalemate, fool's mate, fall, downfall, ruin, perdition, wreck, deathblow, bankruptcy, losing game, affaire flamb_ee, victim, bankrupt, flunker, flunky, unsuccessful, successless, failing, tripping, at fault, unfortunate, abortive, addle, stillborn, fruitless, bootless, ineffectual, ineffective, inconsequential, trifling, nugatory, inefficient, insufficient, unavailing, of no effect, aground, grounded, swamped, stranded, cast away, wrecked, foundered, capsized, shipwrecked, nonsuited, foiled, defeated, struck down, borne down, broken down, downtrodden, overborne, overwhelmed, all up with, ploughed, plowed, plucked, lost, undone, ruined, broken, bankrupt, played out, done up, done for, dead beat, ruined root and branch, flambe, knocked on the head, destroyed, frustrated, crossed, unhinged, disconcerted dashed, thrown off one's balance, thrown on one's back, thrown on one's beam ends, unhorsed, in a sorry plight, hard hit, stultified, befooled, dished, hoist on one's own petard, victimized, sacrificed, wide of the mark, out of one's reckoning, left in the lurch, thrown away, unattained, uncompleted, unsuccessfully, to little or no purpose, in vain, re infecta, the bubble has burst, the jig is up, the game is up, all is lost, the devil to pay, parturiunt montes, dies infaustus, tout est perdu hors l'honneur.

Adversity

N adversity, evil, failure, bad luck, ill luck, evil luck, adverse luck, hard fortune, hard hap, hard luck, hard lot, frowns of fortune, evil dispensation, evil star, evil genius, vicissitudes of life, ups and downs of life, broken fortunes, hard case, hard lines, hard life, sea of troubles, peck of troubles, hell upon earth, slough of despond, trouble, hardship, curse, blight, blast, load, pressure, pressure of the times, iron age, evil day, time out of joint, hard times, bad times, sad times, rainy day, cloud, dark cloud, gathering clouds, ill wind, visitation, infliction, affliction, bitter pill, care, trial, the sport of fortune, mishap, mischance, misadventure, misfortune, disaster, calamity, catastrophe, accident, casualty, cross, reverse, check, contretemps, rub, backset, comedown, setback, losing game, falling, fall, downfall, ruination, ruinousness, undoing, extremity, ruin, unfortunate, unblest, unhappy, unlucky, improsperous, unprosperous, hoodooed, luckless, hapless, out of luck, in trouble, in a bad way, in an evil plight, under a cloud, clouded, ill off, badly off, in adverse circumstances, poor, behindhand, down in the world, decayed, undone, on the road to ruin, on its last legs, on the wane, in one's utmost need, planet-struck, devoted, born under an evil star, born with a wooden ladle in one's mouth, ill-fated, ill-starred, ill-omened, adverse, untoward, disastrous, calamitous, ruinous, dire, deplorable.

Poverty

VB be poor, want, lack, starve, live from hand to mouth, have seen better days, go down in the world, come upon the parish, go to the dogs, go to wrack and ruin, not have a penny, not have a shot in one's locker, beg one's bread, tirer le diable par la queue, run into debt, render poor, impoverish, reduce, reduce to poverty, pauperize, fleece, ruin, bring to the parish.

Destruction

N destruction, waste, dissolution, breaking up, diruption, disruption, consumption, disorganization, fall, downfall, devastation, ruin, perdition, crash, eboulement, smash, havoc, delabrement, debacle, break down, break up, fall apart, prostration, desolation, bouleversement, wreck, wrack, shipwreck, cataclysm, washout, extinction, annihilation, destruction of life, knock-down blow, doom, crack of doom, destroying, demolition, demolishment, overthrow, subversion, suppression, abolition, biblioclasm, sacrifice, ravage, razzia, inactivation, incendiarism, revolution, extirpation, beginning of the end, commencement de la fin, road to ruin, dilapidation, sabotage, destroyed, perishing, trembling to its fall, nodding to its fall, tottering to its fall, in course of destruction, extinct, all-destroying, all-devouring, all-engulfing, destructive, subversive, ruinous, devastating, incendiary, deletory, destroying, suicidal, deadly, with crushing effect, with a sledge hammer, delenda est Carthago, dum Roma deliberat Saguntum perit, ecrasez l'infame.

VB be destroyed, perish, fall to the ground, tumble, topple, go to pieces, fall to pieces, break up, crumble to dust, go to the dogs, go to the wall, go to smash, go to shivers, go to wreck, go to pot, go to wrack and ruin, go by the board, go all to smash, be all over, be all up, be all with, totter to its fall, destroy, do away with, make away with, nullify, annual, sacrifice, demolish, tear up, overturn, overthrow, overwhelm, upset, subvert, put an end to, seal the doom of, do in, do for, dish, undo, break up, cut up, break down, cut down, pull down, mow down, blow down, beat down, suppress, quash, put down, do a job on, cut short, take off, blot out, dispel, dissipate, dissolve, consume, smash, crash, quell, squash, squelch, crumple up, shatter, shiver, batter to pieces, tear to pieces, crush to pieces, cut to pieces, shake to pieces, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, laniate, nip, tear to rags, tear to tatters, crush to atoms, knock to atoms, ruin, strike out, throw over, knock down over, fell, sink, swamp, scuttle, wreck, shipwreck, engulf, ingulf, submerge, lay in ashes, lay in ruins, sweep away, erase, wipe out, expunge, raze, level with the dust, level with the ground, waste, atomize, vaporize, deal destruction, desolate, devastate, lay waste, ravage gut, disorganize, dismantle, devour, swallow up, sap, mine, blast, bomb, blow to smithereens, drop the big one, confound, exterminate, extinguish, quench, annihilate, snuff out, put out, stamp out, trample out, lay in the dust, trample in the dust, prostrate, tread under foot, crush under foot, trample under foot, lay the ax to the root of, make short work of, make clean sweep of, make mincemeat of, cut up root and branch, chop into pieces, cut into ribbons, fling to the winds, scatter to the winds, throw overboard, strike at the root of, sap the foundations of, spring a mine, blow up, ravage with fire and sword, cast to the dogs, eradicate.