What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
broken
Example
The vase fell off the shelf and broke into pieces. [broke: past tense]
Example
The toy car is broken and needs to be fixed. [broken: adjective]
ruined
Example
The storm ruined our picnic by soaking all the food. [ruined: verb]
Example
The fire left the house in ruins. [ruins: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Broken is more commonly used in everyday language to describe various types of damage, while ruined is typically used to describe more significant or catastrophic damage.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between broken and ruined?
Both broken and ruined can be used in both formal and informal contexts, but broken is more versatile and commonly used in everyday conversations.
