Ruinate
/ˈruːɪneɪt/noun
To ruin or destroy completely, or to cause to fall into ruin.
Did you know?*Ruinate* entered English through the same Latin root that gave us *ruin*, ultimately from *ruina*, “a fall” — so the original idea was not just damage, but a sudden crashing down.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*reue-
“to loosen, set in motion, or flow”
Latin
Latin
ruere
“to rush, fall violently, or tumble down”
Latin
Latin
ruina
“a fall, collapse, or downfall”
Middle English
English
ruinen
“to destroy, overthrow, or bring to ruin”
Early Modern English
English
ruinate
“to ruin or destroy completely”
Modern English
English
ruinate
“to ruin or cause to fall into ruin”