Synonyms for ruin
- verb
- noun
Most common
destroy lay waste ravage annihilate wreck spoil break impoverish
Synonyms by meaning
Verb
1. Destroy — to destroy or render something no longer usable or operable
destroy, lay waste, ravage, annihilate, waste, demolish, raze, subvert, havoc, devastate, kill, desolate, dissolve, overturn, damage, betray, loss, wipe out, deface, overwhelm, do in, rub out
2. Wreck — to upset or overturn the plans or progress of, or to have a disastrous effect on something
wreck, spoil, mar, blight, disrupt, disturb, mess up, upset, contaminate, botch, corrupt, pollute, undo formal, stain, vitiate, abuse, shipwreck, soil, blot, foil, mishandle, queer slang dated
4. Impoverish — to cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business
impoverish, beggar, destitute, poor rare
Other
Noun
1. Ruination
ruination, downfall, destruction, wrecking, doom, perdition, fall, undoing, bane, subversion
2. Desolation
Other
screw-up, decadence, confusion, dissolution, wreckage, disorganization US, disorganisation UK, pull-down
Definitions
- v. 1
To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business.
With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!
- v. 2
To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable.
He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them.
- n. 1
The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.
- n. 2
The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.
The monastery has fallen into ruin.
Example sentences
- destroy Do you really think it will destroy my reputation?
- annihilate We shall annihilate anyone who stands in our way!
- mar The first Ceza song I ever heard was "Türk Marşı".
- wreck He confirmed that it was the wreck of the Titanic.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| ruin | rising | |
| destroy | steady | |
| annihilate | rising | |
| ravage | rising | |
| mar | falling |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- mar1
- 4 letters
- kill1, loss1, poor1, fall1, soil1, foil1, doom1, undo2, bane1, blot1, raze1
- 5 letters
- break1, waste1, abuse2, upset2, crash1, smash1, wreck1, spoil1, queer1, stain1, havoc2, botch1
- 6 letters
- damage2, betray2, blight1, beggar2, ravage2, deface2
- 7 letters
- destroy2, corrupt2, disrupt2, disturb2, undoing3, subvert2, pollute2, vitiate3
- 8 letters
- collapse2, bankrupt2, dissolve2, downfall2, wrecking2, wreckage2, demolish3, desolate3, overturn3, deflower
- 9 letters
- confusion3, overwhelm3, shipwreck2, destitute3, decadence3, devastate3, perdition, ruination, mishandle3
- 10 letters
- subversion3, desolation4, annihilate4, impoverish3
- 11 letters
- destruction3, dissolution4, devastation4, contaminate4
- 12 letters
- dilapidation
- 15 letters
- disorganization6, disorganisation
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (undo2 = 2 syllables).