The words are similar. Here are some examples of the differences: Mold can ruin a house, but a fire can destroy it. Putting too much soy sauce in a teriyaki dish can ruin it, but forgetting about it as it burns over an open flame can destroy it. A grown man sitting in a child's seat can ruin it, but an elephant sitting on the same seat would destroy it. Driving your car into deep water can ruin it, but driving it off a cliff would destroy it. Both words can signify a total loss, but destroy has a stronger connotation of having more devastating results. Hope this helps you a little.

Ruin suggests making something worse e.g.to ruin a friendship, or ruin your life. Destroy means a finish to the ruin e.g. Destroy a life( kill someone) or destroy the evidence ( so it can't be recovered) Hope this is of some help.

Interesting question, Celina. If you built a house using toy blocks. Would it be better if your little brother 'ruined' or 'destroyed' the house...? He can ruin the house by taking one block away. But the house still stands. Or... he can destroy the house, and you would need to completely rebuild the house.

I would agree with the others. The distinction for me is that something which is ruined is still useful, but is not new or pretty any more. It is spoiled. I can still wear a ruined sweater, but I will be unhappy about it. Something which is destroyed cannot be used. If my sweater is destroyed, I can only throw it away.

That's a really tough question even for English speakers! I think that ruin is more emotional and destroy is more final. I can provide you some examples: I destroyed the building. He ruined my chances at winning. He ruined the dinner by burning it. The storm destroyed the boats.