| Main Entry: | ruin |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | devastate, destroy |
Synonyms: |
bankrupt, beggar, botch, break, bring down, bring to ruin, bust, clean out, crush, decimate, deface, defeat, defile, demolish, deplete, deplore, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devour, dilapidate, disfigure, do in, drain, exhaust, fleece, impoverish, injure, lay waste, maim, make a mess of, mangle, mar, mutilate, overthrow, overturn, overwhelm, pauperize, pillage, rape, ravish, raze, reduce, sack, shatter, smash, spoil, spoilate, total, use up, wipe out, wrack, wreak havoc on, wreck |
| Notes: | rack is destruction and ruin is destitution; in rack and ruin, rack is a variation of wrack and wreck |
Antonyms: |
build, construct, create, develop, grow |
| Main Entry: | abuse |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | physically hurt or injure |
Synonyms: |
bang up, beat up, bung up, corrupt, cut up, damage, defile, deprave, desecrate, harm, hose, ill-treat, impair, maltreat, mar, mess up*, mishandle, mistreat, misuse, molest, oppress, persecute, pollute, rough up, roughhouse, ruin, shake up, spoil, taint, total*, victimize, violate, wax |
| Notes: | abuse carries with it some sense of harm; misuse refers to an incorrect use that may not lead to harm to misuse is to use something wrongly, to abuse is to misuse something so badly that you damage it |
Antonyms: |
cherish, defend, help, preserve, protect, respect |
| Main Entry: | annihilate |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | destroy completely |
Synonyms: |
abate, abolish, abrogate, annul, blot out, crush*, decimate, demolish, do in, eradicate, erase, expunge, exterminate, extinguish, extirpate, finish off, invalidate, liquidate, massacre, murder, negate, nullify, obliterate, quash, quell, raze, root out, rub out, ruin, slaughter, take out*, undo, vitiate, wipe out, wrack, wreck |
Antonyms: |
help, preserve, revive, save |
| Main Entry: | assault |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | attack |
Synonyms: |
abuse, advance, assail, bash, beset, blast, blitz, bushwhack, charge, come down on, go for, haul off on, invade, jump, jump down one's throat, jump on one's case, lay into, let have it, light into, rape, ruin, set upon, shoot down, slam, slap around, storm, strike, trash, violate, work over, zap |
| Main Entry: | baffle |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | hinder |
Synonyms: |
beat, block, check, circumvent, dash, defeat, disappoint, foil, frustrate, impede, obstruct, prevent, ruin, thwart, upset |
Antonyms: |
abet, aid, assist, encourage, help, relieve, support |
| Main Entry: | balk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | thwart |
Synonyms: |
baffle, bar, beat, check, circumvent, counteract, cramp, cramp one's style, dash, defeat, disappoint, disconcert, foil, forestall, frustrate, hinder, obstruct, prevent, ruin, stall, stop, throw a curve, throw monkey wrench in, upset the apple cart |
Antonyms: |
aid, help, make easier |
| Main Entry: | batter |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | strike and damage |
Synonyms: |
assault, bash, beat, break, bruise, buffet, clobber, contuse, cripple, crush, dash, deface, demolish, destroy, disable, disfigure, drub, hurt, injure, lacerate, lambaste, lame, lash, mangle, mar, maul, mutilate, pelt, pommel, pound, pummel, punish, ruin, shatter, smash, thrash, wallop, wreck |
| Main Entry: | bilk |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | cheat |
Synonyms: |
bamboozle*, beat, circumvent, con, deceive, defraud, disappoint, do*, fleece, flimflam, foil, frustrate, gyp, overreach, rook, ruin, snow*, swindle, thwart, trick |
Antonyms: |
give, give away |
| Main Entry: | blast |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | explode |
Synonyms: |
annihilate, blight, blow up, bomb, break up, burst, damage, dash, demolish, destroy, detonate, dynamite, injure, kill, ruin, shatter, shrivel, spoil, stunt, torpedo, wither, wreck |
| Main Entry: | botch |
| Part of Speech: | verb |
| Definition: | blunder |
Synonyms: |
blow*, bobble, boggle, bollix, boot, bumble, bungle, butcher, distort, err, fall down, flounder, flub, fumble, goof up, gum up, louse up, mar, mend, mess, mess up*, misapply, miscalculate, miscompute, misconjecture, misconstrue, mishandle, misjudge, mismanage, muck up, muddle, muff, mutilate, patch, pull a boner, ruin, screw up, spoil, stumble, wreck |
Antonyms: |
accomplish, achieve, do well, succeed |