English · Word Candidate

ruin

/ˈɹuː.ɪn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: ruins · ruining

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

tàn dư của một công trình bị phá hủy hoặc hư hỏng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

The Veian and the Gabian towirs shall fall, / And one promiscuous ruin cover all; / Nor, after length of years, a stone betray / The place where once the very ruins lay.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Trạng thái bị phá hủy hoặc hư hỏng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

The monastery has fallen into ruin.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To cause the fiscal ruin of; to bankrupt or drive out of business.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Gây thất bại tài chính, làm phá sản

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To destroy or render something no longer usable or operable.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Phá hủy hoặc làm cho không thể sử dụng

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Verb

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “ruin” mean?

The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

Is “ruin” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.