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
The warnings from The Planetary Society, which have been echoed by many naysayers to Trump’s new direction, say the agency is choosing a ruinous path.
—
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
That’s great for them but ruinous for competitive balance at home; since the turn of the millennium, Lincoln have failed to win Gibraltar’s top league only twice.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Making these obligations even more ruinous, patient advocates say, is that many may be based on inaccurate health care bills.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 30 May 2025
The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans—the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ruinous
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Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
That’s great for them but ruinous for competitive balance at home; since the turn of the millennium, Lincoln have failed to win Gibraltar’s top league only twice.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 31 May 2025
Making these obligations even more ruinous, patient advocates say, is that many may be based on inaccurate health care bills.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 30 May 2025
The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans—the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 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 12 Jun. 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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