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: causing or tending to cause ruin
ruinously
adverb
ruinousness
noun
Synonyms
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 ruinous fires that occurred that year in Hawaii provided a stark lesson.
—
Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
An awards-campaign strategist highlights the ruinous economics a cancellation would present to both the Academy and the myriad vendors, hair and makeup professionals, limo drivers, event planners, and caterers whose livelihoods are directly staked upon Oscars business as usual.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Melania Trump is praying for Californians affected by the ruinous wildfires ripping across the Golden State.
—Luke Gentile, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
The final ingredient, which elevated the winds and wildfires from risky to ruinous, was a low-pressure system spinning up over the Gulf of California.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruinous 
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Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2025
An awards-campaign strategist highlights the ruinous economics a cancellation would present to both the Academy and the myriad vendors, hair and makeup professionals, limo drivers, event planners, and caterers whose livelihoods are directly staked upon Oscars business as usual.
—Chris Lee, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2025
Melania Trump is praying for Californians affected by the ruinous wildfires ripping across the Golden State.
—Luke Gentile, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 10 Jan. 2025
The final ingredient, which elevated the winds and wildfires from risky to ruinous, was a low-pressure system spinning up over the Gulf of California.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ruinous
Dictionary Entries Near ruinous
Cite this Entry
“Ruinous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruinous. Accessed 30 Jan. 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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