ruinous

adjective

ˈrü-ə-nəs How to pronounce ruinous (audio)
Definition of ruinousnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ruinous The controversial relationship likely proved ruinous for Gates’ relationship with his now ex wife. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 11 June 2026 For a multimillion-dollar data center, that disposal model is potentially ruinous. — IEEE Spectrum, 11 June 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
  1. disastrous
  2. devastating
  3. fatal
  4. destructive
  5. unfortunate
  6. catastrophic
Adjective
  • Biden eventually withdrew from the 2024 presidential race after a disastrous debate performance.
    — Nina Totenberg, NPR, 25 July 2026
  • Lawmakers assumed the good investment returns would keep coming, which proved disastrous.
    — Zachary Christensen, Oc Register, 24 July 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • What began as one employee's devastating loss quickly grew into a community-wide effort to help earthquake victims in Venezuela.
    — Jasmine Arenas, CBS News, 31 July 2026
  • Robert Bush, 48, was sentenced at Hull Crown Court in northeastern England after a five-day hearing in which more than 200 victims described the devastating impact of his crimes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 31 July 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • Legal experts cast doubt Monday on Bryan Kohberger’s petition to withdraw his guilty plea in the fatal stabbings of four University of Idaho students in 2022.
    — Emanuella Grinberg, NBC news, 28 July 2026
  • Tasmanian devils suffer from Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a highly fatal cancer spread by biting, which has devastated their population and surprisingly arose twice.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Russia withdrew from the convention in 2025 following denunciations by other Ramsar members of the war in Ukraine and its destructive effects on wetlands in that country.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 July 2026
  • Burmese pythons — destructive invasive snakes with few natural predators in Florida — have developed a new foothold outside the Everglades.
    — Sarah Perkel, USA Today, 24 July 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • No, this unfortunate moniker represents the lack of attention to and awareness of the disease.
    — Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
  • Typically, when rookies put up gaudy numbers in Las Vegas, their stats are accompanied by unfortunate shooting percentages or a bevy of turnovers, but that wasn’t the case for Burries.
    — Eric Nehm, New York Times, 19 July 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • As humanity contemplates the potentially catastrophic effects of climate change, Sulej says the story of the Mastodonsaurus offers some hope.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 July 2026
  • The last major hurricane to hit Miami-Dade County was the catastrophic Hurricane Andrew in 1992, but the city did not take a direct hit.
    — Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Definition of catastrophic

Browse Nearby Words

ruining
ruinous
ruins
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Cite this Entry

“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of ruinous for Spanish Speakers

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