in ruins

prepositional phrase

Of a building or structure, mostly destroyed.

“After being found guilty of animal abuse, her reputation was in ruins.”

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. literallyOf a building or structure, mostly destroyed.

    The line ends at Narvik. Eight years ago the whole town was in ruins, but the industry of the Norwegian people has rebuilt it entirely.

    1953 June, C. E. N. Watts, “Railway Through Lapland”, in Railway Magazine, page 384
  2. figurativelyOf a person, attribute, relationship, etc., totally damaged or spoiled.

    After being found guilty of animal abuse, her reputation was in ruins.

    1 more example

    His finances were in ruins after spending all his inheritance on cars and drugs.

Cite this entry
APA

in ruins. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20ruins

MLA

“in ruins.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20ruins. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “in ruins,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/in%20ruins.

Source: in ruins on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.