RUINED Synonyms: 198 Similar and Opposite Words

ruined 1 of 2

adjective

as in done

facing certain defeat, disaster, or death your chances for a promotion were ruined the instance you started mouthing off to the boss

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ruined

2 of 2

verb

past tense of ruin

as in bankrupted

to cause to lose one's fortune and become unable to pay one's debts after he was ruined by the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the industrialist was forced to sell his mansion and start all over again

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in destroyed

to bring destruction to (something) through violent action tornadoes ruined a wide swath of the county

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in demolished

to bring to a complete end the physical soundness, existence, or usefulness of a huge fire that ruined an entire city block

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of ruined

Adjective

Sitting on the rim of his consciousness was always cataclysm, the muted whisper of a ruined world. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Verb

Three winemakers earlier this month filed suit against the owner of Hundred Acre Wines, Jayson Woodbridge, and his company alleging that smoke from the wildfire ruined their harvests, the Press Democrat reported. — Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026 Authorities in Napa County have charged a man for allegedly setting the 2025 Pickett Fire near Calistoga, which burned thousands of acres of Wine Country and ruined grape harvests because of the smoke. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 27 Aug. 2026 The news of the relationship almost ruined the church, which quickly began hemorrhaging members. — Ct Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026 The influx all but ruined Sutter’s extensive land holdings around Sacramento, originally dubbed New Helvetia. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Brentford will be hoping promising midfielder Antoni Milambo can contribute after his debut season was ruined by an ACL injury in October. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 Tuesday’s second callback inspection, third inspection overall, got ruined by two dead roaches under a dry storage shelf and four live roaches in dry storage. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 14 Aug. 2026 While the bride and groom were able to stay dry, Higgins told Storyful that their decorations and reception were ruined. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 14 Aug. 2026 But the mellow vibes are ruined when a goofy case of mistaken identity results in Frankie coming home with a briefcase containing several vials of a glowing orange goo. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined

Adjective

Shortly after meeting with Evan and Caitlin Chambers, Jaybush tracked down the Taft Avenue developer, who agreed to sell one of the doomed Craftsman homes for a dollar.

— Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
So the company began towing the Flight 13 Ship to shore — an endeavor that initially seemed doomed to failure.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of doomed

Verb

Richard Stockton, a lawyer who signed the declaration was captured, starved, and nearly bankrupted by the British.

— Joseph Andrew, Forbes.com, 4 July 2026
Most manufacturers were bankrupted by equipment failures and financial challenges, making the 1990s a tough time for wind power’s pioneers.

— IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026

Definition of bankrupted

Verb

The fire started in the 2300 block of Pickett Road and destroyed five structures, according to Cal Fire.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Almost 50 homes and other structures have been destroyed so far; there have been several injuries, and one of Tibbetts’s neighbors lost 20 German shepherds.

— Anya Kamenetz, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of destroyed

Verb

Meanwhile, as cars replaced horses, streets had to be widened, and several of the city’s many inconvenient hills were flattened—some houses were demolished, but plenty were simply rolled out of the way.

— Nicola Twilley, New Yorker, 27 Aug. 2026
His Administration demolished the White House’s East Wing to make way for a ballroom costing hundreds of millions of dollars—a project facing its own legal challenges.

— Chad de Guzman, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of demolished

Adjective

The train is, of course, a classic example of the perennial perils of sunk costs; abandoning the line seems absurd (even to us) given how much money would be written off.

— The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026
In my experience, mid-market companies operate with leaner teams and cannot absorb the sunk costs of a multi-month implementation with room for scope creep, reworks and failures.

— Prathamesh Bhingarde, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Definition of sunk

Verb

Efforts to bring the outbreak under control — from limited public gatherings to social distancing and airport closures — have disrupted life in the six affected provinces, particularly Ituri, which has been ravaged by rebel violence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
In a world that’s been ravaged by a virus, with many living on the skids, survivors face roaming scavengers called Reapers.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of ravaged

Verb

Adolf Hitler's army has been shattered, but thousands of Nazi fanatics are prepared to engage in an epic last stand.

— Danielle Parker, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
The case against the Tates That image of impunity shattered on July 18, when US Marshals arrested the brothers outside a bare-knuckle boxing match in Miami on an extradition request from British authorities.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of shattered

Adjective

During China’s first export boom, Chinese factories often imported parts, assembled the finished product and shipped it abroad.

— Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
The finished drinking water will travel south through another underground tunnel around the west side of O’Hare International Airport, where it will be distributed to seven northwest Cook suburbs, including Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates, May said.

— Marni Pyke, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of finished

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“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of ruined

adjective

verb

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