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• ruth
  ruth

  noun

  pity or compassion.
• Ruth
  Ruth

  noun

  a Moabite woman who married Boaz and became an ancestor of David: the daughter-in-law of Naomi.

ruth

¹ American  

[rooth] / ruθ /

noun

ruths plural

1. pity or compassion.

   Synonyms:

   sympathy, mercy

   Antonyms:

   cruelty

2. sorrow or grief.

3. self-reproach; contrition; remorse.

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Ruth ² American  

[rooth] / ruθ /

noun

1. a Moabite woman who married Boaz and became an ancestor of David: the daughter-in-law of Naomi.

2. a book of the Bible bearing her name.

3. a female given name.

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Ruth ³ American  

[rooth] / ruθ /

noun

1. George Herman Babe, 1895–1948, U.S. baseball player.

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Ruth ¹ British  

/ ruːθ /

noun

1. Old Testament

   1. a Moabite woman, who left her own people to remain with her mother-in-law Naomi, and became the wife of Boaz; an ancestress of David

   2. the book in which these events are recounted

2. George Herman , nicknamed Babe . 1895–1948, US professional baseball player from 1914 to 1935

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ruth ² British  

/ ruːθ /

noun

1. pity; compassion

2. repentance; remorse

3. grief or distress

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Ruth Cultural  

1. The great-grandmother of King David, known for her kindness and faithfulness. Not an Israelite herself, she married an Israelite who had come to her country with his family. Ruth's husband died, and her mother-in-law, Naomi, set out to return to the country of the Israelites. Ruth insisted on accompanying Naomi, saying, “Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge.” In the country of the Israelites, Ruth married Boaz, a rich relative of her dead husband; Boaz had been attracted to Ruth by her generosity. Her story is told in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ruths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ruth

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ruthe, reuthe; see origin at rue ¹, -th ¹

Example Sentences

With outside support Ruth made plans to leave her husband.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Then, in 2021, after Ruth suffered a mental health crisis, he became her named carer.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

Ruth says the encounters took an horrific toll.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

“We doubt businesses will be able to make a series of price hikes stick or be able to afford to raise wage growth,” said Ruth Gregory, an economist at Capital Economics.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026

Ruth took the clipboard back after Maggie signed it with her details.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith