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 By that point, Didulo’s fictional laws had begun having ruinous effects. — Zander Sherman, Rolling Stone, 7 Aug. 2026 With his resignation, Starmer becomes the sixth British prime minister to resign since the seismic, and ultimately ruinous, Brexit referendum vote on June 2016. — Abid Rahman, HollywoodReporter, 22 June 2026 Distracting people from a ruinous war and domestic unrest with bread and circuses isn’t new. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 17 June 2026 These people are ridiculous; these people are ruinous. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 14 June 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
  • The designer had felt the atmosphere shift after her disastrous outdoor cruise collection in Marseille in May 2024, which was marred by a mini-storm.
    — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • European leaders and oil executives at the time said that such a ban would be disastrous for long-term oil flow.
    — Rebecca Schneid, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of disastrous
Adjective
  • Families confronting a devastating diagnosis may already be frightened, grieving and overwhelmed.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Nepal is still recovering from devastating flooding in August that swept away several villages, leaving more than 1,400 people dead and nearly 6,000 missing.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of devastating
Adjective
  • In its statement, FARDC said an investigation to determine the actual circumstances and the exact causes of the fatal plane crash was already underway.
    — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
  • As flu season approaches, TikTokers are spreading a homemade elixir to supposedly boost the immune system that experts warn could in fact cause the fatal disease botulism.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • But most destructive is the voice of Jamal’s stepdad, which is a negative, paranoid voice that tries to convince him to doubt the intentions of those around him.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Such capabilities can potentially affect military intelligence, communications, and navigation without creating the debris associated with destructive anti-satellite missile tests.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of destructive
Adjective
  • These unfortunate souls were supposed to stay in their birthplace, hoping church charity would sustain them.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Artistic but flighty, Deborah ends up at her parents’ alma mater when an unfortunate incident gets her NYU Tisch School of the Arts acceptance rescinded.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of unfortunate
Adjective
  • Refining these predictive models will also improve safety for reentry vehicles and high-speed aircraft, ultimately minimizing or eliminating catastrophic water damage.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
  • If that wasn’t bad enough, the dead satellites would start crashing into things, creating cascades of high-speed debris that could destroy most remaining satellites in a catastrophic domino effect called Kessler syndrome.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 Sep. 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 4 Oct. 2026.

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