Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Ruin
Ru′in
,Noun.
[OE.
ruine
, F. ruine
, fr. L. ruina
, fr. ruere, rutum, to fall with violence, to rush or tumble down.] 1.
The act of falling or tumbling down; fall.
[Obs.]
“His ruin startled the other steeds.” Chapman.
2.
Such a change of anything as destroys it, or entirely defeats its object, or unfits it for use; destruction; overthrow;
“Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!” as, the
. ruin
of a ship or an army; the ruin
of a constitution or a government; the ruin
of health or hopesGray.
3.
That which is fallen down and become worthless from injury or decay;
as, his mind is a
; especially, in the plural, the remains of a destroyed, dilapidated, or desolate house, fortress, city, or the like. ruin
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
And one promiscuous ruin cover all;
Nor, after length of years, a stone betray
The place where once the very
ruins
lay. Addison.
The labor of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the
ruins
of an old and vicious character. Buckminster.
4.
The state of being dcayed, or of having become ruined or worthless;
as, to be in
. ruins
; to go to ruin
5.
That which promotes injury, decay, or destruction.
The errors of young men are the
ruin
of business. Bacon.
Syn. – Destruction; downfall; perdition; fall; overthrow; subversion; defeat; bane; pest; mischief.
Ru′in
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Ruined
;p. pr. & vb. n.
Ruining
.] 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.
this mortal house I’ll
ruin
. Shakespeare
By thee raised, I
ruin
all my foes. Milton.
The eyes of other people are the eyes that
ruin
us. Franklin.
By the fireside there are old men seated,
Seeling
Seeling
ruined
cities in the ashes. Longfellow.
Ru′in
,Verb.
I.
To fall to ruins; to go to ruin; to become decayed or dilapidated; to perish.
[R.]
Though he his house of polished marble build,
Yet shall it
Yet shall it
ruin
like the moth's frail cell. Sandys.
If we are idle, and disturb the industrious in their business, we shall
ruin
the faster. Locke.
Webster 1828 Edition
Ruin
RU'IN
,Noun.
1.
Destruction; fall; overthrow; defeat; that change of any thing which destroys it, or entirely defeats its object, or unfits it for use; as the ruin of a house; the ruin of a ship or an army; the ruin of a constitution of government; the ruin of health; the ruin of commerce; the ruin of public or private happiness; the ruin of a project.2.
Mischief; bane; that which destroys.The errors of young men are the ruin of business.
3.
Ruin, more generally ruins, the remains of a decayed or demolished city, house, fortress, or any work of art or other thing; as the ruins of Balbec, Palmyra or Persepolis; the ruins of a wall; a castle in ruins.The labor of a day will not build up a virtuous habit on the ruins of an old and vicious character.
4.
The decayed or enfeebled remains of a natural object; as, the venerable old man presents a great mind in ruins.5.
The cause of destruction.They were the ruin of him and of all Israel. 2Chron. 28.
RU'IN
, v,t,1.
To demolish; to pull down, burn, or otherwise destroy; as, to ruin a city or an edifice.2.
To subvert; to destroy; as, to ruin a state or government.3.
To destroy; to bring to an end; as, to ruin commerce or manufactures.4.
To destroy in any manner; as, to ruin health or happiness; to ruin reputation.5.
To counteract; to defeat; as, to ruin a plan or project.6.
To deprive of felicity or fortune.By thee rais'd I ruin all my foes.
Grace with a nod, and ruin with a frown.
7.
To impoverish; as, to be ruined by speculation.The eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us.
8.
To bring to everlasting misery; as, to ruin the soul.RU'IN
, v.i.1.
To fall into ruins.2.
To run to ruin; to fall into decay or be dilapidated.Though he his house of polish'd marble build, yet shall it ruin like the moth's frail cell.
3.
To be reduced; to be brought to poverty or misery.If we are idle, and disturb the industrious in their business, we shall ruin the faster.
[Note. This intransitive use of the verb is now unusual.]
Definition 2024
Ruin
ruin
ruin
English
Ruins at Delphi in Greece
Noun
ruin (plural ruins)
- (countable, sometimes in the plural) The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
- Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
- 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.
- Joseph Stevens Buckminster (1751-1812)
- 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 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.
- Joseph Addison (1672–1719)
- (uncountable) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
- The monastery has fallen into ruin.
- (uncountable) Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.
- Gambling has been the ruin of many.
- Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
- The errors of young men are the ruin of business.
- 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, The Bat, chapterI:
- 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.
- (obsolete) A fall or tumble.
- George Chapman (1559-1634)
- His ruin startled the other steeds.
- George Chapman (1559-1634)
- 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
- Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
- Ruin seize thee, ruthless king!
Translations
remains of destroyed construction
|
|
the state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed
something which leads to serious troubles
Verb
ruin (third-person singular simple present ruins, present participle ruining, simple past and past participle ruined)
- (transitive) to cause the ruin of.
- 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
- 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...
- 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island
- To destroy or make something no longer usable.
- He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
- Longfellow
- By the fireside there are old men seated, / Seeling ruined cities in the ashes.
- To upset or mess up the plans or progress of, or to put into disarray; to spoil.
- My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related terms
Translations
to cause the ruin of
|
|
to destroy
|
to spoil
Asturian
Adjective
ruin m sg (feminine singular ruina, neuter singular ruino, masculine plural ruinos, feminine plural ruines)
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology
Noun
ruin m (definite singular ruinen, indefinite plural ruiner, definite plural ruinene)
- ruin (often in plural form when referring to buildings)
References
- “ruin” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
Noun
ruin m (definite singular ruinen, indefinite plural ruinar, definite plural ruinane)
- ruin (often in plural form when referring to buildings)
References
- “ruin” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.