ruinous

[roo-uh-nuhs] / ˈru ə nəs /

ADJECTIVE

disastrous, devastating

Synonyms

STRONGEST

calamitous cataclysmic catastrophic crippling damaging deadly dire fatal harmful hurtful murderous pernicious

WEAK

annihilative baleful baneful deleterious depleting draining exhausting extravagant fateful immoderate impoverishing injurious noxious shattering suicidal unfortunate wasteful withering wrackful

Antonyms

STRONGEST

favorable fortunate harmless healthful helpful kind nice trivial unimportant wholesome

WEAK

advantageous assisting beneficial

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The joint amicus brief called the department labelling Anthropic a risk "a potentially ruinous sanction" for businesses and little more than a "temper tantrum".

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

That’s how fast it is supposed to be able to grow without stoking ruinous inflation.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

That means contending with German society’s deeply ingrained pacificism, a legacy of ruinous wars and the horrors of the Holocaust.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Starting over elsewhere becomes a financially ruinous proposition.

From Slate • Nov. 4, 2025

But when Winston glanced again at Rutherford’s ruinous face, he saw that his eyes were full of tears.

From "1984" by George Orwell

Vocabulary lists containing ruinous

Hamilton

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30 GRE Words Beginning with "Q" "R" and "S"

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Dubliners

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