ruin

The word “ruin” means to destroy, spoil, or severely damage something so it no longer works or pleases. In plain terms, to wreck something completely, or the wrecked remains left behind.

“Ruin” is pronounced ROO-ihn (/ˈɹuː.ɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “ruin” used in a sentence: “The heavy rain ruined the outdoor concert.”

Depending on how it is used, “ruin” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “ruin” comes from Latin. From Old French ruine, from Latin ruina, "collapse," from ruere, "to fall or rush down.".

“Ruin” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

“Ruin” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to destroy, spoil, or severely damage something so it no longer works or pleases.

To ruin something is to spoil or severely damage it so it no longer works or pleases, though something may physically remain. To destroy is stronger, meaning to demolish or wipe out completely so little or nothing is left.

The singular 'ruin' usually refers to the act or state of destruction, as in 'the company faced financial ruin.' The plural 'ruins' refers to the physical remains of a destroyed or decayed structure, as in 'the ruins of a castle.'

Both mean to make something worse, but 'spoil' is often milder and can refer to small harm, as in 'the rain spoiled the picnic.' 'Ruin' is more severe, suggesting the thing is damaged beyond enjoyment or use.