ruin

To damage or spoil something so badly that it cannot be used or enjoyed.

• The rain ruined our picnic.
• Do not ruin the surprise by telling her.
• Have I ruined this shirt by washing it in hot water?

Similar words: spoil, wreck, destroy

Common phrases: ruin something, ruin someone's day, ruin the surprise, ruin someone's plans

To make a person or business lose all or most of their money.

• Those debts could ruin us.
• The failed investment ruined him financially.
• Rising costs have ruined several small businesses.

Similar words: bankrupt, impoverish

Opposites: enrich

Common phrases: ruin someone financially, ruin a business, ruin a company

To destroy a building or place so that only broken parts remain.

• The earthquake ruined the castle.
• Years of war had ruined the city.
• The fire ruined the church, leaving only its stone walls.

Similar words: destroy, devastate, wreck

Common phrases: ruin a city, ruin a castle, ruin a village

The parts of an old or destroyed building that are still there.

• We visited the castle ruins.
• Only one wall of the ruin still stands.
• Archaeologists found pottery among the ancient ruins.

How to use it: the ruins of something (We walked through the ruins of an old castle.)

Similar words: remains

Common phrases: ancient ruin, castle ruin, ruin of something

A state of being badly damaged, destroyed, or allowed to fall apart.

• The old mill fell into ruin.
• Years of neglect brought the estate to ruin.
• The palace lay in ruin until repairs began.

How to use it: fall into ruin (The empty house slowly fell into ruin.)

Similar words: destruction, decay, collapse

Common phrases: fall into ruin, lie in ruin, complete ruin