1
as in disastrous
bringing about ruin or misfortune
a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 events meant to bring us together, like the Super Bowl or March Madness, have been bastardized into vehicles for ruinous addiction.
—
MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
His policy prescriptions are ruinous.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
The radiation effects have been ruinous, according to US government reports cited by the Atomic Heritage Foundation, which said the testing was responsible for 55% of cancers on some of the islands’ northern atolls.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
There’s nothing ruinous about October’s viewership numbers.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
His policy prescriptions are ruinous.
—Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
The radiation effects have been ruinous, according to US government reports cited by the Atomic Heritage Foundation, which said the testing was responsible for 55% of cancers on some of the islands’ northern atolls.
—Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2025
There’s nothing ruinous about October’s viewership numbers.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
Adjective
-
Secretary Noem paused the diversity lottery to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
The main issues on that offense were instability at offensive coordinator, as owner Woody Johnson forced him to fire Mike LaFleur after the 2022 season and replace him with the disastrous Nathaniel Hackett.—
Zack Rosenblatt,
New York Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
His co-owner and friend, Elia Carranza, described the loss as devastating.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Seattle famously did not hand off to star running back Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson’s pass was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, sealing a Patriots win and putting a devastating end to the Seahawks’ season.—
Jayna Bardahl,
New York Times,
26 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Nanos previously said Nancy Guthrie did not leave the home by herself, pointing to her limited mobility and a health condition that could prove to be fatal if the necessary medication was not taken within 24 hours.—
Julia Bonavita , Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
For years, Malibu has been working to reduce road deaths on PCH, though the fatal incidents stretch beyond the city’s borders.—
Summer Lin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Wuthering Heights is a dark and gothic tale of destructive, obsessive, conflicting romance.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
29 Jan. 2026
-
This is destructive and absurd.—
Steve Forbes,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Toni Preckwinkle has served the city of Chicago and Cook County ably throughout her long political career and done much to make life better for the unfortunate among us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
French Stewart played Harry Solomon, who was known for his odd posture, nervous energy, and the unfortunate fact that alien messages arrived through his head.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Brown’s primary worry is that the climate will continue to warm and the ice sheet in Greenland will continue to melt at its current rate, which could lead to a catastrophic rise in sea levels.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Power outages still remain in the South following the catastrophic ice impacts of last weekend’s storm.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
