ruin
^1
/ˈruːɪn/
1 ruin something to damage something so badly that it loses all its value, pleasure, etc.
The bad weather ruined our trip.
That one mistake ruined his chances of getting the job.
My new shoes got ruined in the mud.
The crops were ruined by the late frost.
Collocations
adverb
verb + ruin
threaten to
be going to
2 ruin somebody/something to make somebody/something lose all their money, their position, etc.
If she loses the court case it will ruin her.
The country was ruined by the war.
^2
/ˈruːɪn/
1 uncountable the state or process of being destroyed or severely damaged A large number of churches fell into ruin after the revolution.
The house had been left to go to ruin.
The terrorist attack had left the city in a state of ruin
Collocations
adjective
verb + ruin
phrases
be the ruin of somebody/something
go to rack and ruin
2 countable (also ruins plural) the parts of a building that remain after it has been destroyed or severely damaged The old mill is now little more than a ruin.
We visited the ruins of a Norman castle.
Two bodies were found among the charred ruins of the house.
(figurative) He was determined to build a new life out of the ruins of his career.
3 uncountable the fact of having no money, of having lost your job, position, etc. The divorce ultimately led to his ruin.
The bank stepped in to save the company from financial ruin.
The war brought the country to the brink of ruin.
Collocations
adjective
verb + ruin
phrases
on the brink of ruin
on the verge of ruin
the road to ruin…
4 singular something that causes a person, company, etc. to lose all their money, job, position, etc. Gambling was his ruin.
Idioms
Word Origin