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.

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

Blair Kinghorn was a surprise exclusion from the 23 but the Toulouse full-back is the embodiment of the gambler's instinct that's magnificent when it works and utterly ruinous when it doesn't.

From BBC • Feb. 6, 2026

Ye ran through the ruinous effects of his injury and subsequent diagnosis, saying it caused him to avoid seeking the help he needed.

From Salon • Jan. 26, 2026

It seemed, this time, he wasn’t going to back down from his own ruinous demands.

From Slate • Jan. 23, 2026

Many of them looked to have been worked by hands, though now they lay tumbled and ruinous in a bleak, barren land.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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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