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To go to rack and ruin is to fall into a state of complete disrepair or destruction. What's the origin of the phrase 'Rack and ruin'? It might be thought that the rack in this phrase refers to the medieval torture device, as in the phrase rack one’s brains.
a state of decay: go to rack and ruin The whole farm was going to rack and ruin. Over the years, they let the house go to rack and ruin. Many of the former mill towns are trying to avoid wrack and ruin by increasing tourism. The city had been abandoned, and the grand buildings in the square were in rack and ruin.
The idiom “rack and ruin” is a popular expression used to describe something that has been destroyed or ruined beyond repair. It is often used to refer to buildings, structures, or even people who have fallen into disrepair due to neglect or abandonment.
Jul 8, 2024 · The meaning of GO TO RACK AND RUIN is to become destroyed or ruined. How to use go to rack and ruin in a sentence.
rack and ruin, gone to. Dilapidated and decayed. These words originally meant utter destruction and financial ruin, rack here being a variant of wreck (it was sometimes spelled wrack, showing the close association). The term, from the sixteenth century, no doubt owes its long life in part to alliteration.
Jun 2, 2024 · Etymologically incorrect, due to confusion of rack (“torture, suffer”) with wrack (“destroy”). Correct is wrack and ruin, which is accordingly preferred by style guides; however, both are common and well-established.
The idiom "rack and ruin" is used to describe a state of decay or destruction. It can be used to convey the idea of something falling into disrepair or being neglected, leading to a state of ruin.
something that is going to rack and ruin is falling into a very bad condition, because nobody is looking after it or dealing properly with it. The country is going to rack and ruin under this government.
Rack and ruin. When something goes to rack and ruin it means complete destruction or worthlessness and unlike rack one’s brains, it has nothing to do with rack as in the medieval torture device.
You can use "Rack and Ruin" to describe a state of complete destruction or decay. It emphasizes the extent of damage or deterioration. For example, if you see a neglected house that is falling apart, you might say, 'The house has fallen into rack and ruin.'
