ruin

Compared meaning: to badly damage or destroy something (verb).

比较义项：破坏、摧毁（动词）。

• destroy

  The most general and strongest word for making something cease to exist or function completely; neutral register, used for both physical objects and abstract things like hope or evidence.

  destroy 是这组词里最常用、语气最强的词，指让某物彻底不复存在或无法运作；语域中性，既可用于具体事物，也可用于希望、证据等抽象事物。

  The bulldozers destroyed the old building in just two days.

  推土机只用两天就摧毁了那栋旧楼。

• devastate

  Emphasizes severe, widespread damage to a place, often from a disaster, and can extend to overwhelming emotional shock to people; more dramatic than destroy.

  devastate 强调大范围、程度严重的破坏，常用于灾难对某地造成的破坏，也可引申指给人带来巨大的精神打击；语气比 destroy 更具冲击力。

  The hurricane devastated coastal communities across the state.

  那场飓风重创了该州沿海地区的多个社区。

• ruin 本词

  Focuses on spoiling something so it no longer serves its purpose or gives satisfaction, often without physical violence; common with plans, chances, or quality rather than large-scale destruction.

  ruin 强调把某事物毁坏到无法再发挥作用或令人满意的地步，不一定涉及暴力破坏；常用于计划、机会、品质等，而非大规模的实体破坏。

  A single mistake could ruin his chances of winning the competition.

  一个小失误就可能毁掉他赢得这场比赛的机会。

Destroy, devastate, and ruin all mean to badly damage something. Destroy is the strongest, meaning to make something stop existing completely. Devastate emphasizes severe, widespread damage, often from a disaster, or overwhelming someone emotionally. Ruin means spoiling something so it loses its value or purpose.

这三个词在“把某物毁坏掉”这一义项上意思相近，但语气强弱和使用范围不同：destroy 最直接、最强烈，devastate 强调大范围或毁灭性的打击，ruin 更侧重把事物毁坏到失去价值或无法使用的地步。

Compared meaning: a complete failure or collapse (noun).

比较义项：毁灭、垮台（名词）。

• ruin 本词

  Broader and more neutral: refers to the complete destruction of plans, prospects, buildings, or a person's fortunes, often caused by external events or one's own actions; very common, everyday word.

  含义更宽泛、更中性：指计划、前景、建筑物或个人财运等被彻底破坏，原因可以是外部事件，也可以是自身行为；是非常常见的日常用词。

  Heavy rain could easily ruin our plans for the outdoor picnic.

  大雨很可能彻底毁了我们户外野餐的计划。

• downfall

  Narrower: almost always the sudden loss of power, status, or success of a specific person (often powerful or famous), typically caused by their own flaw, scandal, or mistake; carries a dramatic, almost moralistic tone.

  含义更窄：几乎总是指某个具体人物（通常有权势或有名望）突然失去权力、地位或成功，通常是由其自身的缺点、丑闻或错误造成的；带有一种戏剧性、近乎道德教训的语气。

  His constant lying eventually led to his downfall at work.

  他不断撒谎，最终导致他在工作上的垮台。

Ruin and downfall both describe complete failure or collapse. Ruin is broader: the destruction of plans, buildings, or a person's fortunes, from outside events or one's own actions. Downfall is narrower: the sudden loss of power of one powerful person, caused by their own mistake.

两词都指走向彻底的失败或崩溃，但 ruin 强调事物或前景被彻底破坏（可以是抽象计划，也可以是具体的人或事业），语气较中性、适用范围广；downfall 特指一个人（尤其是有权势、有名望者）从高位跌落，往往由自身错误或丑闻造成，带有一种因果报应或戏剧性转折的意味。