The difference between Devastate and Ruin

When used as verbs, devastate means to ruin many or all things over a large area, such as most or all buildings of a city, or cities of a region, or trees of a forest, whereas ruin means to cause the fiscal ruin of.


Ruin is also noun with the meaning: the remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

check bellow for the other definitions of Devastate and Ruin

  1. Devastate as a verb:

    To ruin many or all things over a large area, such as most or all buildings of a city, or cities of a region, or trees of a forest.

  2. Devastate as a verb:

    To destroy a whole collection of related ideas, beliefs, and strongly held opinions.

  3. Devastate as a verb:

    To break beyond recovery or repair so that the only options are abandonment or the clearing away of useless remains (if any) and starting over.

  1. Ruin as a noun (countable, sometimes, in the plural):

    The remains of a destroyed or dilapidated construction, such as a house or castle.

  2. Ruin as a noun (uncountable):

    The state of being a ruin, destroyed or decayed.

    Examples:

    "The monastery has fallen into ruin."

  3. Ruin as a noun (uncountable):

    Something that leads to serious trouble or destruction.

    Examples:

    "Gambling has been the ruin of many."

  4. Ruin as a noun (obsolete):

    A fall or tumble.

  5. Ruin as a noun:

    A change that destroys or defeats something; destruction; overthrow.

    Examples:

    "the ruin of a ship or an army;  nowrap the ruin of a constitution or a government;  nowrap the ruin of health or hopes"

  6. Ruin as a noun (uncountable):

    Complete financial loss; bankruptcy.

  1. Ruin as a verb (transitive):

    to cause the fiscal ruin of.

    Examples:

    "With all these purchases, you surely mean to ruin us!"

  2. Ruin as a verb:

    To destroy or make something no longer usable.

    Examples:

    "He ruined his new white slacks by accidentally spilling oil on them."

  3. Ruin as a verb:

    To cause severe financial loss to; to bankrupt or drive out of business.

    Examples:

    "The crooked stockbroker's fraudulent scheme ruined dozens of victims; some investors lost their life savings and even their houses."

  4. Ruin as a verb:

    To upset or overturn the plans or progress of, or to put into disarray; to spoil.

    Examples:

    "My car breaking down just as I was on the road ruined my vacation."

  5. Ruin as a verb:

    To reveal the ending of (a story); to spoil.

  6. Ruin as a verb (obsolete):

    To fall into a state of destruction.

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