ruinous
ruinous · more ruinous · most ruinous
Causing ruin; destructive, calamitousCausing ruin; destructive, calamitous.
/ˈɹuː.ɪnəs/
» Absolute tolerance is ruinous to a tolerant society.
Meaning
3 sensesCausing ruin; destructive, calamitous.
causing injury or blight; especially affecting with sudden violence or plague or ruin
Extremely costly; so expensive as to cause financial ruin.
They were forced to completely replace the roof at ruinous expense.
extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin
Characterized by ruin; ruined; dilapidated; as, an edifice, bridge, or wall in a ruinous state.
Examples
1 sentencesAbsolute tolerance is ruinous to a tolerant society.
Translations
4 languagesOrigin
From Middle English ruynous, from Old French ruinos, ruineus, from Latin ruīnōsus. By surfFrom Middle English ruynous, from Old French ruinos, ruineus, from Latin ruīnōsus. By surface analysis, ruin + -ous.
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Forms
more ruinous, most ruinous| Comparative | more ruinous Lesson |
|---|---|
| Superlative | most ruinous Lesson |
regular
Synonyms
3 synonymscharacterized by ruin:ramshackle
Close in meaning
- causing injury or blight; especially affecting with sudden violence or plague or ruin:blasting
- extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin:catastrophic
Word family
3 related wordsRelatedruin
Lessons for this word
2 lessons- A2Comparatives — Because it has a comparative form
- A2Superlatives — Because it has a superlative form