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

My brother’s wife has ruined each and every get-together by having constant fights with her little boy about eating. — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points, Jaylen Brown had 19, Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and the Sixers ruined the Knicks' championship party. — CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 Burdick seemed to have drawn directly from McCarthy’s experience, the hopelessness of fighting with his father over a world his father had already ruined, the surrender to indulgence and mindless violence because…why not? — Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026 Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points, Jaylen Brown had 19, Joel Embiid had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and the Sixers ruined the Knicks’ championship party. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The re-re-inspection later Tuesday was ruined by five flies in the dishwasher, food prep and dining room areas. — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Our lawn was almost ruined by chinch bugs that were brought onto it on mowing equipment. — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 Fragrance bottles are usually quite delicate, and if your suitcase takes a wrong turn or tumble, everything near that bottle is ruined (and so is your expensive perfume). — Elleanna Revell, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Oct. 2026 Janice was disgusted; Mary was emotionally devastated and financially ruined. — Ben Taub, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruined

Adjective

This housing raid would put roughly 150,000 homes under the government’s control — about seven percent of Berlin’s housing supply — in what would no doubt be a doomed effort to curb rising rents.

— Editorial Board, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Skerritt originally turned down the role as Captain Dallas of the doomed spacecraft Nostromo in Alien (1979) after fearing that the film’s budget would be consumed by special effects.

— Chris Koseluk, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of doomed

Verb

Both the rocket and the camera were destroyed after crashing into the Earth at a speed of about 340 miles per hour.

— Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Cities outside Paris have been hit hard by the unrest, including Limoges where a fire nearly destroyed the 19th-century city hall.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of destroyed

Adjective

Poor Stuart’s capable and patient efforts come to nothing, because Hal is in a snit and seems to be suffering an acute case of sunk cost fallacy-itis.

— Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of sunk

Verb

London had been ravaged by plague since the summer of 1592, with high mortality rates in the city and suburbs meaning the playhouses were closed for business for twenty of the following twenty-two months.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 20 Oct. 2026
Swarms of police officers and ambulances racing to the grounds of a school ravaged by gunfire has become a familiar scene, and one that represents only the beginning of incalculable pain, loss and trauma.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of ravaged

Verb

On Wednesday night, northern and central parts of the state saw hail the size of golf balls that pummeled people’s roofs, shattered windows and dented cars, along with damaging wind gusts.

— Wufei Yu, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
Hail pummeled people's roofs, shattered windows and dented cars.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of shattered

Adjective

According to iGulu, continuous cooling with CO₂ can keep finished drinks fresh for up to 30 days.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Oct. 2026
The finished basement has a family room, a stone fireplace, a bar, a wine cellar, a walk-in vault and additional entertaining space.

— Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of finished

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“Ruined.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruined. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ruined

adjective

verb

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