Meaning & use

ruining

verb·Everyday

Causing severe damage or destruction to something, or spoiling it completely.

See it in a sentence

The heavy rain kept ruining our plans for an outdoor wedding all summer.

He worried that one mistake was ruining his chances of a promotion.

A note on using this word

Ruining can describe both literal destruction and figurative harm, such as to a reputation or an opportunity.

Words with a similar meaning

destroyingspoiling

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

restoringpreserving

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “ruining”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.