ruin
gb/ɹˈuɪn/ us/ɹˈuɪn/
A2
English
~ 1300
tönkretesz, romok, tönkremenetel, csőd
VERB
B1
1
tönkretesz
B1
Usage pattern:
to ruin [something]
The heavy rain ruined our picnic.
A heves eső tönkretette a piknikünket.
You’ll ruin your shoes if you walk through the mud.
Tönkreteszed a cipődet, ha a sárban gyalogolsz.
The scandal ruined his career.
The spilled wine ruined the carpet.
Loud noise from the street ruined my concentration.
Learner examples
The rain ruined our day.
Az eső tönkretette a napunkat.
He ruined his shirt with paint.
Festékkel tönkretette az ingét.
The fire ruined the house.
She ruined the cake by burning it.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ruin' with 'break'. 'Break' usually refers to physical damage to an object, while 'ruin' can be physical or abstract (plans, mood, reputation).
Meaning
Cause serious damage or destruction
Collocations
ruin a plan
|ruin a trip
|ruin clothes
|ruin someone's chances
|ruin the mood
Synonyms
spoil (Often used for less severe damage, especially to enjoyment or appearance.)
|
destroy (Stronger and more final; complete physical damage.)
Antonyms
repair (To fix something that is damaged.)
|
improve (To make something better rather than worse.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|business
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To damage something so badly that it cannot be used or enjoyed anymore.
To cause severe and often irreversible damage to something, making it no longer functional, valuable, or enjoyable.
NOUN
A2
2
romok
B1
Tourists visited the ancient ruins of the temple.
A turisták megnézték a templom ókori romjait.
The castle now lies in ruins after centuries of neglect.
A vár évszázados elhanyagoltság után ma már romokban hever.
We walked through the ruins of the old town.
Learner examples
We saw the ruins of a castle.
Láttuk egy vár romjait.
The ruins are very old.
A romok nagyon régiek.
The city was in ruins after the war.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'ruins' (plural) for a single building; it's usually plural when referring to remains.
Meaning
Remains of destroyed building
Collocations
ancient ruins
|Roman ruins
|lie in ruins
|explore the ruins
Synonyms
remains (A general term for what is left of something.)
|
wreckage (Usually refers to broken parts after an accident or disaster.)
Antonyms
restoration (The act of bringing something back to its original condition.)
Themes
history
|travel
|nature
|core_vocabulary
Definition
What is left of a building or place after it has been damaged or destroyed.
The remains of a building, city, or other structure that has been destroyed or has decayed over time.
NOUN
B2
3
csőd
B2
The company’s poor decisions led to financial ruin.
A vállalat rossz döntései pénzügyi csődhöz vezettek.
His gambling habit brought him to ruin.
Szerencsejáték-szenvedélye anyagi csődbe juttatta.
They managed to save the farm from ruin.
Learner examples
The shop is close to ruin.
Az üzlet a csőd szélén áll.
His bad choices led to ruin.
Rossz döntései végül tönkretették az életét.
They saved the business from ruin.
Meaning
State of destruction or collapse
Collocations
fall into ruin
|bring to ruin
|face ruin
Synonyms
collapse (Focuses on sudden failure.)
|
downfall (Often about loss of power, success, or reputation.)
Antonyms
success (Opposite in terms of outcome or state.)
Themes
business
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A very bad state where something is broken, failed, or lost.
A condition in which something has been destroyed or has failed completely, especially in a figurative sense.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ruin
IPA
GB/ɹˈuɪn/
US/ɹˈuɪn/
Syllables & stress
ru - in (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (ru)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ruin
- Plural: ruin, ruins
Verb
- Base: ruin
- 3rd Person Singular: ruins
- Present Participle: ruining
- Past: ruined
Word family
Forms
ruins
noun
ruining
verb
ruined
verb
Advanced or less common
Expressions
bring to ruin
1/bɹˈɪŋ tə ɹˈuɪn/
idiom
Cause complete destruction or failure
To make a person or thing fail completely or be destroyed.
Examples
- Poor management brought the company to ruin.
- His actions nearly brought the whole project to ruin.
fall into ruin
1/fˈɔl ˈɪntu ɹˈuɪn/
idiom
Gradually become damaged and unusable
To slowly get damaged and broken over time because no one takes care of it.
Examples
- The old theater fell into ruin after it closed.
- Without repairs, the bridge will fall into ruin.
lie in ruins
1/lˈaɪ ˈɪn ɹˈuɪnz/
idiom
Be in a destroyed state
To be badly damaged so that only broken parts remain.
Examples
- After the earthquake, much of the city lay in ruins.
- The factory lay in ruins after the fire.