1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
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2
as in devastating
causing or tending to cause destruction
a ruinous windstorm destroyed the crops
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruinous
For Dalio, this near-ruinous period was not merely a setback but a profound educational experience that redefined his investment strategy and personal philosophy.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
But Whitney’s own ruinous investments and personal demons set him on a collision course with his brother George, the gatekeeper to J.P. Morgan, who is the key to preventing the crash.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
And so one of Rothstein’s protégés, Dutch Schultz—who, thanks to the layoff networks, had access to ready cash—began lending to the Harlem numbers bankers, at ruinous rates.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Her ruinous policies are the cause of the 12 percent increase in electric rates, not MAGA voters.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2025
But Whitney’s own ruinous investments and personal demons set him on a collision course with his brother George, the gatekeeper to J.P. Morgan, who is the key to preventing the crash.
—Leia Mendoza, Variety, 7 Aug. 2025
And so one of Rothstein’s protégés, Dutch Schultz—who, thanks to the layoff networks, had access to ready cash—began lending to the Harlem numbers bankers, at ruinous rates.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
Her ruinous policies are the cause of the 12 percent increase in electric rates, not MAGA voters.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 3 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
Adjective
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The effect was disastrous, my hair crimped weirdly, with sections shooting out in different directions like the discordant notes of an orchestra tuning up.—
Rachel Kushner,
New Yorker,
14 Sep. 2025
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The mid-quarter update offered a glimmer of hope after Six Flags’ disastrous second quarter earnings report in August.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Last year demonstrated that late September and early October can be an active period for tropical development, with multiple threats that may be high-impact and potentially devastating.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
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Without the right resources, developers face burnout, community dissatisfaction, or the devastating fate that their games never reach their full potential.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Prepared Social Feed Posts Automation promises efficiency but can’t accommodate nuance, context or situational changes that a human would change course for (think competitive move, environmental crisis, fatal tragedy, and so on).—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talk show was suspended indefinitely following the host's comments on the fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.—
Anthony Robledo,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The massive 1980 eruption blasted a column of ash and gas more than 15 miles into the atmosphere and triggered a devastating landslide, killing 57 people in what was the most destructive eruption in modern US history.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
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The weather phenomenon could pose the danger of new wildfire starts; it is already linked to some of the state’s costliest, most destructive fires in the past.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Therefore, there are some unfortunate parallels between young Gen Z needing to sacrifice wages due to wavering job opportunities and millennials graduating into the Great Recession.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
16 Sep. 2025
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In today's volatile business climate, layoffs have become an unfortunate reality across industries.—
Caroline Castrillon,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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This is a potentially catastrophic mistake.—
Ajay Pundhir,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Arena aims to provide value by helping companies to avoid catastrophic machine failures and reduce the effort necessary to complete safety and maintenance.—
Aman Kidwai,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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