ruinous

adjective

ru·​in·​ous ˈrü-ə-nəs How to pronounce ruinous (audio)
Synonyms of ruinousnext
1
2
: causing or tending to cause ruin
ruinously adverb
ruinousness noun

Examples of ruinous in a Sentence

The house has fallen into a ruinous state. a ruinous miscalculation of the financial markets left them bankrupt
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The ruinous price increases that took place during the Biden-Harris administration do not get a mention. Ramesh Ponnuru, Washington Post, 23 May 2026 The actors who especially come out on top here are Sturridge and Ford as the dueling counterpoints in this ruinous romantic triangle. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 20 May 2026 That’s a positive flag for an Eagles offense whose ruinous regression in the run game last season led to former OC Kevin Patullo’s ouster. Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2026 Its promise to jump on the AI gravy train, however, has seemingly left its ruinous financials in the rearview mirror. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ruinous

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ruinous was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruinous. Accessed 31 May. 2026.

Kids Definition

ruinous

adjective
ru·​in·​ous ˈrü-ə-nəs How to pronounce ruinous (audio)
: causing or tending to cause ruin : destructive
ruinously adverb

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