ruinous

[roo-uh-nuhs]

adjective

1. bringing or tending to bring ruin; destructive; disastrous.

   a ruinous war.

   Synonyms: catastrophic, devastating, calamitous

2. fallen into ruin; dilapidated.

   a ruinous house.

3. consisting of ruins.

   a ruinous city from antiquity.

ruinous

/ ˈruːɪnəs /

adjective

1. causing, tending to cause, or characterized by ruin or destruction

   a ruinous course of action

Other Word Forms

• ruinously adverb
• ruinousness noun
• nonruinous adjective
• nonruinously adverb
• nonruinousness noun
• unruinous adjective
• unruinously adverb
• unruinousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruinous¹

1350–1400; Middle English ruynouse < Latin ruīnōsus, equivalent to ruīn ( a ) ruin + -ōsus -ous

Example Sentences

The two countries have continued talks to try and strike a deal and avert ruinous tariffs and a trade war.

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These floods are ruinous to many families in a country where more than 40% of people live below the poverty line.

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The stress, financial cost, reputational damage and years spent on the defensive are ruinous.

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Agree new trading terms with the US by then, they'd been warned – or face potentially ruinous tariffs.

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But the administration apparently wanted the Republican Congress to share responsibility for the ruinous decision — and they were eager to do so.

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Related Words

• calamitous 
• cataclysmic 
• catastrophic 
• crippling 
• damaging 
• deadly 
• dire 
• fatal 
• harmful 
• hurtful 
• murderous 
• pernicious