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
Between Helm’s clouds is a ruinous, wrathful force where everything is cunted.
—
Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The huge Neymar deal set in train a course of ruinous transfer spending, even as player sales provided a healthy source of income.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The ceasefire marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, destabilized the Middle East, and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in the territory.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
His one sack was effective, not ruinous.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
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Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
The huge Neymar deal set in train a course of ruinous transfer spending, even as player sales provided a healthy source of income.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
The ceasefire marks a key step toward ending a ruinous two-year war that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced much of Gaza to rubble, destabilized the Middle East, and left dozens of hostages, living and dead, in the territory.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2025
His one sack was effective, not ruinous.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruinous. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ruinous
adjective
ru·in·ous
ˈrü-ə-nəs 
: causing or tending to cause ruin : destructive
ruinously
adverb
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