ruin

Universal Words verb, noun verb [VN] 1 to damage sth so badly that it loses all its value, pleasure, etc.; to spoil sth: 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. 2 to make sb/sth lose all their money, their position, etc: If she loses the court case it will ruin her. * The country was ruined by the war. noun 1 [U] 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 2 [U] 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. 3 [sing.] something that causes a person, company, etc. to lose all their money, job, position, etc: Gambling was his ruin. 4 [C] (also ruins [pl.]) 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. IDIOMS in ruins destroyed or severely damaged: Years of fighting have left the area in ruins. * The scandal left his reputation in ruins. * Their plans for a comeback now lie in ruins. moreatRACKn.