ruth

[ rooth ]

/ ruθ /

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noun

pity or compassion.

sorrow or grief.

self-reproach; contrition; remorse.

OTHER WORDS FOR ruth

1 mercy, sympathy.

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OPPOSITES FOR ruth

1 cruelty.

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of ruth

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English ruthe, reuthe; see origin at rue¹, -th¹

Words nearby ruth

rusty, rusty blackbird, rut, rutabaga, rutaceous, ruth, Ruth, Babe, Ruthenia, Ruthenian, ruthenic, ruthenious

Other definitions for ruth (2 of 3)

Ruth¹

[ rooth ]

/ ruθ /

noun

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

a book of the Bible bearing her name.

a female given name.

Other definitions for ruth (3 of 3)

Ruth²

[ rooth ]

/ ruθ /

noun

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ruth in a sentence

Now Attorney General, Ruth is creating an FBI task force to investigate serial violent and sexual crimes.
CBS' Silence of the Lambs Sequel Clarice Robs a Unique Franchise of Its Personality|Judy Berman|February 11, 2021|Time
Some Boomers remember Leachman as Ruth, the mother in the 1957-58 season of the TV show “Lassie.”
Celebrating Leachman’s wonderful work, fearless life|Kathi Wolfe|February 5, 2021|Washington Blade
Perhaps he saw me as a threat to Ruth and was protecting the alpha.
My dog barked at me. What’s going on in that canine skull of his?|John Kelly|January 31, 2021|Washington Post
As the two men walked off the field, Johnson shook Ruth’s hand, and Ruth put his arm around Johnson.
The strange, one-of-a-kind political campaign that almost landed Walter Johnson in Congress|Frederic J. Frommer|October 29, 2020|Washington Post

Ruth was struck by the flu and survived a second time in the postseason.
This Year's World Series Isn't the First Played During a Pandemic. Here's What Happened to Baseball in 1918|Melissa August|October 23, 2020|Time
Ruth Shady isn't my anything; she is her own, completely original force in archaeology.
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rivers, it had emerged, had told them she was Ruth Madoff in disguise, and not to speak to her or approach her when she walked in.
I Was There: Inside Joan Rivers’ Funeral|Tim Teeman|September 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Kids Who Beat Autism Ruth Padawer, The New York Times Magazine At first, everything about L.'s baby boy seemed normal.
The Daily Beast’s Best Longreads, Aug 3, 2014|The Daily Beast|August 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The third group came in the 1930s because of Adolf Hitler: Anni Albers, Ruth Adler Schnee, Marcel Breuer.
How Jews Created American Modernism|Andrew Romano|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was probably the biggest sporting hero of the decade—more popular at his peak than even Babe Ruth.
When New York City Hit Its Stride|Allen Barra|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He dazzled the eyes and might have had for the asking the heart and hand of Diana Horton—Ruth's cousin.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
She was shorter by a half-head than her darker cousin, and made up in sprightliness what she lacked of Ruth's gentle dignity.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
Ruth advanced towards him, her face grave, her sweet eyes full of pitying concern.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini
But Ruth Hilton sprang to the large old window, and pressed against it as a bird presses against the bars of its cage.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
Ruth approached him again; again she took him by the arm, seeking to soothe his over-troubled spirit; but again he shook her off.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for ruth (1 of 2)

ruth

/ (ruːθ) /

noun archaic

pity; compassion

repentance; remorse

grief or distress

Word Origin for ruth

C12: from rewen to rue 1

British Dictionary definitions for ruth (2 of 2)

Ruth

/ (ruːθ) /

noun

Old Testament

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
the book in which these events are recounted

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for ruth

Ruth

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.

ruth

OTHER WORDS FOR ruth

OPPOSITES FOR ruth

Origin of ruth

Words nearby ruth

Other definitions for ruth (2 of 3)

Other definitions for ruth (3 of 3)

Words related to ruth

How to use ruth in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ruth (1 of 2)

Word Origin for ruth

British Dictionary definitions for ruth (2 of 2)

Cultural definitions for ruth