1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a ruinous windstorm destroyed the crops
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruinous
Now, in a ruinous turnaround, the city has decided that, when updating community plans, adequate infrastructure doesn’t matter anymore.
—
Nico Calavita, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Arthur inherited his father’s alcoholism and propensity for violence, with such ruinous results that he was eventually institutionalized as well.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
And if the hypotheticals are not enough to dissuade, history is littered with teams trading away their future for immediate glories, seeing their plans implode, and being left with a ruinous future that becomes a hopeless present while another team reaps the benefits.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Dinner might have been ruined, but this certainly was not any sort of ruinous trade for either team.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Nico Calavita, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
Arthur inherited his father’s alcoholism and propensity for violence, with such ruinous results that he was eventually institutionalized as well.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
And if the hypotheticals are not enough to dissuade, history is littered with teams trading away their future for immediate glories, seeing their plans implode, and being left with a ruinous future that becomes a hopeless present while another team reaps the benefits.
—Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 30 Jan. 2026
Dinner might have been ruined, but this certainly was not any sort of ruinous trade for either team.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
Adjective
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Duke appeared to be too much for the Huskies, who went more than five minutes without scoring during a disastrous first-half stretch to fall behind, 44-25.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
30 Mar. 2026
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And years later, when the group splintered into increasingly militant factions, some took part in a disastrous bank robbery that killed an innocent guard and two police officers—three men who were just doing their jobs that day, and who left behind their own kids, their own families.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Just days later, Duke suffered a devastating loss with a Final Four berth on the line.—
Cole Sullivan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
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The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for weeks of ground operations inside Iran, according to the Wall Street Journal, including a potentially devastating and dangerous mission to excavate uranium from the country.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The House of Representatives has twice passed such a bill with a handful of Democrats signing on, but in the Senate, Democrats have held up the bill over demands for Immigrations and Customs Enforcement reforms after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in January.—
Arden Farhi,
CBS News,
25 Mar. 2026
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The collision was the first fatal crash at Laguardia Airport in 34 years.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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In December, the country faced a destructive attack on its energy system believed to be unprecedented among NATO and European Union members, and suspected of originating in Russia.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Mar. 2026
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Parts of the Arabian Peninsula and Persian Gulf could be slammed by strong to severe thunderstorms Thursday, bringing the potential for damaging winds, destructive hail and a few tornadoes.—
Matthew Cappucci,
Washington Post,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That house has a history of unfortunate events, including the fate of Cookie, an errant heiress and her pooch.—
Pat Beall,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
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The start of 2026 has been a series of unfortunate events for Michelle Harris and her family.—
Monique John,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The line between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah is more blurred than ever after the latter’s catastrophic performance in the 2023-2024 war with Israel.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Mar. 2026
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The catastrophic 1969 offshore oil spill in Santa Barbara killed thousands of sea birds and marine mammals.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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