ruin

See also Ruin

English

Ruins at Delphi in Greece

Etymology

From Middle English ruine, from Old French ruine, from Latin ruīna (“overthrow, ruin”), from ruō (“I fall down, tumble, sink in ruin, rush”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈɹuːɪn/, [ˈɹuwɪn], /ˈɹʊɪ̯n/
• (US) IPA: /ˈɹuːɪn/, [ˈɹuwɪn]

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːɪn

Noun

ruin (plural ruins)

1. (countable) construction withered by time.
2. (uncountable) The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.

   The monastery has fallen into ruin.

3. (uncountable) Something which leads to serious troubles.

   Gambling has been the ruin of many.

Translations

construction withered by time

• Arabic: خراب (ar) (kharaab) m
• Berber:

  Tashelhit: iɣrman (ighrman) m pl

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 毀滅 (cmn), 毁灭 (cmn) (huǐmiè), 遺址 (cmn), 遗址 (cmn) (yízhǐ)

• Czech: zřícenina (cs) f, ruina (cs) f
• Danish: ruin (da)
• Dutch: ruïne (nl) f
• Esperanto: ruino (eo)
• Estonian: vare (et)
• Finnish: raunio (fi)
• French: ruine (fr) f
• Georgian: ნანგრევი (ka) (nangrevi)
• German: Ruine (de) f
• Hindi: विनाश (hi) (vināś), नाश (hi) (nāś)
• Hungarian: rom (hu), roncs (hu), omladék (hu)
• Icelandic: rúst (is)

• Italian: rovina (it) f
• Japanese: 廃墟 (ja) (はいきょ, haikyo), 遺跡 (ja) (いせき, iseki)
• Korean: 붕괴 (ko) (bunggeo)
• Kurdish:

  Sorani: شوێنه‌وار (ku) (shwaenawAr)

• Navajo: kitsʼiilí‎
• Polish: ruina (pl) f
• Portuguese: ruína (pt) f
• Romanian: ruină (ro) f
• Russian: руина (ru) (ruína) f , развалина (ru) (razválina) f 
• Scottish Gaelic: tobhta (gd) f
• Serbian: ruševina f, podor m, podorina f, razvalina f, provalina f, razval m, razvala f
• Spanish: ruina (es) f
• Swedish: ruin (sv)
• Turkish: kalıntı (tr)
• Welsh: adfail (cy) m
• West Frisian: Ruïne (fy)

the state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed

• Finnish: rappio (fi)
• French: ruine (fr) f
• German: Ruin (de) m
• Hungarian: rom (hu)
• Italian: rovina (it) f
• Norwegian: ruin (no) m
• Old English: hryre (ang) m

• Portuguese: ruína (pt) f
• Romanian: ruină (ro) f
• Russian: в руинах (ru) (v ruínax) , в развалинах (ru) (v razválinax) 
• Scottish Gaelic: creach (gd) f
• Spanish: ruina (es) f
• Swedish: ruin (sv)
• Vietnamese: hư hại (vi)

something which leads to serious troubles

• Finnish: turmio (fi)
• French: ruine (fr) f
• German: Ruin (de) m
• Italian: rovina (it) f
• Old English: hryre (ang) m
• Portuguese: ruína (pt) f

• Romanian: ruină (ro) f
• Russian: крах (ru) (krax) m , крушение (ru) (krušénije) n , разорение (ru) (razorénije) n , гибель (ru) (gíbel’) f 
• Scottish Gaelic: creach (gd) f
• Spanish: ruina (es) f

Verb

ruin (third-person singular simple present ruins, present participle ruining, simple past and past participle ruined)

1. (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...

2. To destroy or make something no longer be able to be for good use.

   He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.

3. 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

• fordo
• ruinate

Translations

to cause the ruin of

• Arabic: دمر (ar) (dámmara)
• Armenian: կործանել (hy) (korçanel) 
• Cherokee: ᎠᏲᏍᏙᏗ (chr) (ayosdodi)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 破壞 (cmn), 破坏 (cmn) (pòhuài), 毀 (cmn), 毁 (cmn) (huǐ)

• Czech: zruinovat (cs)
• Danish: ødelæg (da)ge
• Dutch: ruïneren (nl)
• Finnish: raunioittaa, tuhota, tärvellä, pilata
• French: ruiner (fr)
• German: ruinieren (de)
• Greek: καταστρέφω (el) (katastréfo) 
• Hebrew: דפק (he) (dafák), פישל (he) (pishél), הרס (he) (harás)

• Hungarian: lerombol (hu), tönkretesz (hu), romba dönt (hu)
• Japanese: 滅ぼす (ja) (ほろぼす, horobosu)
• Latgalian: grauduot
• Latvian: graut (lv)
• Lithuanian: griauti (lt)
• Romanian: strica (ro)
• Russian: разрушать (ru) (razrušát')  impf., разрушить (ru) (razrúšit')  pf., портить (ru) (pórtit')  impf., испортить (ru) (ispórtit')  pf.
• Scottish Gaelic: creach (gd)
• Slovak: zruinovať
• Spanish: desbaratar (es), arruinar (es)
• Swedish: ödelägga (sv), ruinera (sv) (financially)
• Walloon: rwiner (wa)

to destroy

• French: abîmer (fr), foutre en l'air (fr) (colloquial), ruiner (fr) (colloquial), massacrer (fr)

to spoil

• French: gâcher (fr), foutre en l'air (fr) (colloquial), plomber (fr), ruiner (fr)

External links

• ruin in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• ruin in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• ruin at OneLook Dictionary Search

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -œy̯n

• audio

  (file)

Noun

ruin m (plural ruinen, diminutive ruintje)

1. gelding

See also

• hengst

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Swedish

Noun

ruin c

1. a ruin (remains of a building)
2. ruin (financial bankruptcy)

Declension

Declension of ruin

	singular		plural
Common	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	ruin	ruinen	ruiner	ruinerna
genitive	ruins	ruinens	ruiners	ruinernas

Related terms

• ruinera