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 In this telling, Ivan appears as a precursor to Stalin and other ruinous Russian despots. — Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 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 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
  • Independent media outlets like Baikal People reported that the fatal chain of events began on September 25.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Chicago Alderman Michelle Harris said at Sunday's community vigil that the suspect had allegedly gotten into an altercation with staff at a wireless store in the Chatham neighborhood just before the fatal stabbing, WLS reported.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of fatal
Adjective
  • Recent warnings about the potential destructive power of AI are understating the severity of the situation.
    — Geoffrey Irving, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Desperate to change, Tonya turns to her estranged mother, Wanda (Miller), who offers little concern and instead accuses her of repeating the same destructive patterns that shaped her own childhood.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 2 Oct. 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
  • Writers in ancient Mesopotamia told several versions of a story in which the gods send a catastrophic flood but warn one man, who then builds a large boat to save his family and animals.
    — Eric Vanden Eykel, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The film stars Cruise as an aging oil tycoon whose drilling operations trigger a catastrophic climate change disaster.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 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 9 Oct. 2026.

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