Ruined

How to spell ruined

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce ruined

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does ruined mean?

1. verbDamaged, spoiled, or destroyed something so completely that it can no longer be used or enjoyed.
2. adjectiveIn a state of decay, destruction, or financial collapse.

Ruined in a sentence

• verb

  The sudden downpour ruined the whole outdoor wedding.

• adjective

  Tourists wandered through the ruined abbey on the hillside.

• verb

  One careless email ruined his chances of promotion.

• adjective

  The collapse of the bank left him a ruined man with nothing to his name.

Where does ruined come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word grows from the Latin noun ruina, which meant a falling down or a collapse, and behind that stood the verb ruere, meaning to fall, to rush headlong, or to tumble into ruin. English picked it up through Old French ruine during the late 1300s, originally describing the literal physical collapse of buildings and walls. From there the sense widened to cover any kind of downfall, including the loss of wealth, reputation, or hope, and the verb 'to ruin' grew up alongside the noun. The participle 'ruined' simply adds the regular -ed ending to that verb, which is why the spelling keeps the full 'ruin' intact before the suffix. A useful memory hook is that the same ruere root also gives us 'ruin' itself and the geological term for crumbling rock, so the idea of something falling apart runs right through the family.

How the word is built

• ruin (from Latin ruina: a collapse, downfall)
• -ed (past tense / participle suffix)