Ruinous Meaning
/ˈɹuː.ɪnəs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjCausing ruin; destructive, calamitous.
adjExtremely costly; so expensive as to cause financial ruin.
Sentence Examples
Absolute tolerance is ruinous to a tolerant society.
They were forced to completely replace the roof at ruinous expense.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The hurricane caused ____ damage to the coastal villages, destroying almost everything.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ cost of the legal battle forced the small company into bankruptcy.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English ruynous, from Old French ruinos, ruineus, from Latin ruīnōsus. By surface analysis, ruin + -ous.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"We are rapidly reversing the economic calamity we inherited from the previous administration, including ruinous price increases and record-setting inflation, inflation like we've never had before."
— 2025 September 23, Donald Trump, speech at United Nations:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The hurricane caused ____ damage to the coastal villages, destroying almost everything.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The ____ cost of the legal battle forced the small company into bankruptcy.