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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ruinous
Wrinkles, sun spots and sagging skin have become so demonized, that even teenagers — decades away from this reality — and increasingly men, previously exempt from this ruinous beauty standard, have started to fear, anticipate and prepare for their arrival.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Slowly, Castro’s cronies built a kleptocracy that proved ruinous to the Cuban people, but hugely profitable to them.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, county officials will need to save all their firepower to fight a ruinous plan to slash funding the county depends on for essential functions like emergency services.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Breaking so many contacts between cells may seem ruinous for a zygote floating in the womb.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Slowly, Castro’s cronies built a kleptocracy that proved ruinous to the Cuban people, but hugely profitable to them.
—Quico Toro, The Atlantic, 27 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, county officials will need to save all their firepower to fight a ruinous plan to slash funding the county depends on for essential functions like emergency services.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2026
Breaking so many contacts between cells may seem ruinous for a zygote floating in the womb.
—Clare Watson, Quanta Magazine, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruinous
Adjective
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After last year’s disastrous Eaton fire, Southern California Edison executives vowed to be transparent about what caused the inferno that killed at least 19 people and left thousands of families homeless in Altadena.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
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Sturm then gave Swayman the mercy pull, which frankly could have happened after the disastrous first.—
Stephen Conroy,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Decades later, the protagonist of Repetition reflects on her mother and father’s relationship, about the devastating truths that are the source of her mother’s intense anxieties.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
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Houston looked good from the start in this one after squandering a six-point lead in the final 26 seconds of regulation in a devastating 112-108 overtime loss Friday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Homicide detectives are investigating the fatal shootings of three adults in Baldwin Park last week — two of whom were a married couple, officials said, who were being mourned by their college-age children.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
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Police have arrested a man on murder and firearm charges in connection with a fatal shooting in Stratford earlier this month.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The plane hitting the water is destructive enough without the help of a jagged coral reef (improbably far from any coastline) slicing through the aircraft’s undercarriage.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Apr. 2026
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This is a classic destructive straight-line wind setup, and strong storms will certainly be possible.—
Ron Smiley,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Even before the president set off this unfortunate round of gerrymandering, Democratic states such as New York and Illinois were already heavily gerrymandered.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
25 Apr. 2026
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He’s beaten by thugs with a crowbar for an unfortunate outburst, exploited by neighbors in the council estate and arrested, all because people don’t understand Tourette syndrome.—
Katie Walsh,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Despite heroic acts of survival, 25 girls and two counselors died in the catastrophic flooding, as did camp co-owner Dick Eastland.—
Brian Brant,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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This year, several Western states had very dry to record-dry winters, setting them up for a potentially catastrophic wildfire season.—
Austin Amestoy,
NPR,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ruinous. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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