in ruins

English

Prepositional phrase

in ruins

1. (e.g. of a building) mostly destroyed
   • 1953 June, C. E. N. Watts, “Railway Through Lapland”, in Railway Magazine, page 384:

     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.

2. (figurative) totally spoiled

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

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