Arruinando

Arruinando is the present participle of the verb arruinar in Spanish and Portuguese, meaning “ruining” or “causing ruin.” It describes an ongoing action that leads to damage, loss, or destruction of people, plans, objects, or situations. As a gerund, it can be used in progressive tenses or as a descriptive modifier in casual speech, for example, en inglés: “Estoy arruinando mis planes” or “Isso está arruinando meus planos.” In financial or business contexts, arruinar refers to causing ruin or insolvency, while in everyday language it often means spoiling or wrecking outcomes, such as a surprise or a project.

Etymology and forms: the verb arruinar derives from the noun ruina, which comes from Latin and is cognate with related terms in other Romance languages. Related forms include arruinado (ruined) and arruinamiento (ruin, ruinous state). In both Spanish and Portuguese, the sense remains broadly consistent: to bring about ruin, financially or figuratively, or to spoil something through poor actions or management.

Usage notes: arruinar is commonly used in literal financial contexts (to ruin a company) and in figurative expressions (to ruin plans, a reputation, or a project). The gerund arruinando emphasizes the ongoing nature of the damage and is frequently found in spoken language and contemporary writing. In neutral or encyclopedic contexts, it is typical to specify what is being ruined and by what means, to avoid ambiguity.

See also: ruin, ruina, arruinar, arruinado, arruinamiento.