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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

See Examples For:

ruth Ruth

Appeared in the February 7, 2026, print edition as 'Lost in Epstein’s Web ruth, Consequences and the Limits of Epstein’s Web Jeffrey Epstein’s Tangled Web'.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026

You can view the spreadsheets from previous versions of the show on ruth tang’s website.

From The Verge ● Sep. 26, 2021

The show, co-created by playwright ruth tang and director Sarah Blush, and put on by a cast of game collaborators and theater company New Georges, manages to be playful, confounding, and surprisingly, a little touching.

From The Verge ● Sep. 26, 2021

But no major writer has been more ruth lessly candid, or more humble, about his own abilities.

From Time Magazine Archive

Even when she had been loudest in denouncing Ayala's mutiny, her heart had melted in ruth because Ayala had been so unhappy.

From Ayala's Angel by Trollope, Anthony

A shrine in the entryway of Ruth Higdon’s home in Ridgway.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Ruth Ehrlich, director of external relations at Liberty, said the case was "hugely important" and has "far-reaching implications for the public's privacy rights well into the future".

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

Ruth Buffalo, who served in the North Dakota House of Representatives from 2019-2022, originally won with the DSA’s endorsement.

From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026

Ruth Cross Kwansing, a government minister in Kiribati, said the concept of a "Blue Pacific continent" is fundamental to the region, and is driving the indignation.

From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026

“She had a good life,” croaks Ruth, banging her cane against the wood floor for emphasis.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish