1
2
: causing or tending to cause ruin
ruinously
adverb
ruinousness
noun
Examples of ruinous in a Sentence
The house has fallen into a ruinous state.
a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
Recent Examples on the Web
Cassie took to OnlyFans, mostly for her own validation but partly to bail her now-husband Nate (Jacob Elordi) out of ruinous debt — reuniting her with her estranged best friend Maddy (Alexa Demie), now a talent manager.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026
Instead, gum arabic, like so much of the country’s gargantuan wealth, now provides both the reason and resources for its staggeringly ruinous civil war.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
The commission must give John Levy a fair trial before imposing ruinous fines and penalties.
—Jeremy Talcott, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
The ruinous price increases that took place during the Biden-Harris administration do not get a mention.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
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Alison Herman, Variety, 1 June 2026
Instead, gum arabic, like so much of the country’s gargantuan wealth, now provides both the reason and resources for its staggeringly ruinous civil war.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2026
The commission must give John Levy a fair trial before imposing ruinous fines and penalties.
—Jeremy Talcott, Oc Register, 27 May 2026
The ruinous price increases that took place during the Biden-Harris administration do not get a mention.
—Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruinous. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ruinous
adjective
ru·in·ous
ˈrü-ə-nəs 
: causing or tending to cause ruin : destructive
ruinously
adverb
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