ruinous Hear it!

ruinous Definition

ru·in·ous (ro̵̅o̅ə nəs)

adjective

  1. falling or fallen into ruin; dilapidated; decayed
  2. bringing or tending to bring ruin; very destructive or harmful; disastrous ruinous floods

Etymology: ME ruinouse < L ruinosus

ruinous Related Forms

ru·in·ously adverb ru·in·ous·ness noun

ruinous Synonyms

ruinous

modif.

  1. Destructive

    pernicious, calamitous, disastrous; see destructive 2, harmful.

  2. Leading to bankruptcy

    unfortunate, rash, speculative, suicidal, fatal, impoverishing, pauperizing, exhausting, draining, depleting, bringing to want, reducing to penury.

ruinous Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • potentially: But for the biggest, potentially ruinous, buys of our lives, most of us are poorly advised lambs ready to be fleeced.
  • largely: Now largely ruinous, the south gate still shows the slot for the portcullis on the west side.
  • very: There is a clear entrance, flanked by an outer protective work, now very ruinous.
  • so: A structure in the countryside that is so ruinous that it has to be substantially or entirely re-built will not be suitable.
  • now: Toward Castle The castle now ruinous was the principal castle of the Lamont family.
  • almost: By 1887 the church was in an almost ruinous condition.

Preposition: for

country: Its professed aim is to save the environment, but its practical effect in many instances may be ruinous for poor countries.

Modifies a noun

  • castle: In Leland's time, Appleby " was but a poor village, having a ruinous castle, wherein the prisoners were kept.
  • state: The castle could have given them no shelter being in its ruinous state.
  • war: Iraq and Iran blame each other for their ruinous war and each sees the outcome as a victory.
  • condition: By 1887 the church was in an almost ruinous condition.
  • competition: It is the opposite of Oxfam's emphasis on the path of ruinous competition between countries seeking market access.
  • building: The inner court contains a range of ruinous buildings dating from the 12th to the 16th century, including Leicester's Building.

Used with adjective complement

  • prove: For smaller farmers, however, the increased costs of seeds could prove ruinous.
  • become: The 10 th Earl had removed the roof in 1746, allowing the property to become ruinous ( Coventry, 2001 ).