Use ruined for things, plans, meals, buildings, or experiences that have been badly damaged or spoiled. For lighter damage, damaged or spoiled may be more precise.
Use ruined for things, plans, meals, buildings, or experiences that have been badly damaged or spoiled. For lighter damage, damaged or spoiled may be more precise.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The house was ruin. | The house was ruined. |
| The dinner was ruined from rain. | The picnic was ruined by rain. |
| The ruined phone works perfectly. | The repaired phone works perfectly. |
| Ruined means slightly used. | Ruined means badly damaged or spoiled. |
Use ruined for serious, lasting harm to a person, reputation, career, or financial position. It can sound dramatic, so upset, hurt, or in trouble may be better for smaller problems.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He was ruined happy. | He was completely ruined. |
| The lawsuit ruined to them. | The lawsuit ruined them. |
| She ruined after the news. | She was ruined by the news. |
| Financially ruined means very rich. | Financially ruined means having lost money, property, or security. |
Use the word for strong damage, not for a small flaw. In English, ruined by is a common pattern for naming the cause.
The house was ruin is incorrect. Use ruined after be, as in the house was ruined.
From ruin, which came into English through Old French from Latin ruina, connected with falling down or collapse. Ruined is the past tense and past participle of the verb ruin.
What does ruined mean?
It means destroyed, spoiled, badly damaged, or seriously harmed.
Is ruined an adjective or a verb?
It can be an adjective, and it is also the past tense and past participle of the verb ruin.
What is the base verb of ruined?
The base verb is ruin.
Do you say ruined by or ruined from?
Ruined by is the usual pattern for the cause, as in ruined by rain.
Can a person be ruined?
Yes. A person can be financially, emotionally, socially, or professionally ruined.
What is a synonym for ruined?
Synonyms include destroyed, wrecked, spoiled, damaged, devastated, bankrupt, and broken.
How do you use ruined in a sentence?
For example: The storm left the house ruined.