ruinous

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "ruinous" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe something that causes great damage or destruction, often in a financial or moral context. Example: "The company's ruinous spending habits ultimately led to its bankruptcy."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Both instinctively understood the ruinous consequences of communism, socialism and excessive government regulation.

The Guardian

She was served by the most formidable spin machine we have seen and aided by outriders who were happy to overlook the ruinous effect of many of her policies because they admired her style and ideology.

The Guardian - Opinion

It was an era marked by economic dysfunction, lawlessness, rampant corruption and a ruinous war in the southern territory of Chechnya.

The Guardian

Her admirers would describe her as a happy mix of the smart and the muscular; doubters will recall her vote for the ruinous invasion of Iraq in 2003, and prefer the Obama-esque oath to first do no harm.

The Guardian - Opinion

"It's very depressing and financially ruinous for lavender producers to cultivate plants that are supposed to last 10 years and find them dying within three years," said Chaisse.

The Guardian

Publishing a 180-page report, Myners said the board – currently made up of members of the co-operative movement such as nurses, farmers and public-sector workers – was "stuck in denial" over what he called a "near ruinous" failure of governance, which led to the near-collapse of its bank last year.

The Guardian - Business

He and his wife, Anikó, said they will invest their money cautiously and avoid the ruinous spending splurges of many a lottery winner.

The Guardian

Californians love to tinker with their state's political rules, and over the last century this has generally meant binding the hands of politicians (with, often, ruinous consequences).

The Economist

A second would have required the Swiss National Bank to buy tons of gold to bring it up to 20% of the country's currency reserves, a bizarre idea that would have been ruinous for the country's monetary policy.

The Economist

AMERICANS never made up a large portion of Swiss private banks' international client base, but the price to be paid for allowing some of them to evade tax is proving to be steep and could be ruinous for some smaller wealth managers.

The Economist

Rather, they suffer from a gambling compulsion a ruinous addiction to risk.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "ruinous" to describe situations or actions that lead to significant damage or destruction, especially in contexts where long-term negative consequences are emphasized. For example, "The company's ruinous financial decisions led to its bankruptcy."

Common error

Avoid using "ruinous" in situations where the impact is minor or insignificant. Reserve it for describing truly devastating or destructive outcomes to maintain its impact. For example, avoid saying "That movie was ruinous" unless you mean it was truly disastrous.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "ruinous" is as an adjective, modifying nouns to describe something that causes or is characterized by ruin. Ludwig AI confirms this through various examples where "ruinous" precedes nouns like "consequences", "effect", and "exploitation".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "ruinous" is a versatile adjective that aptly describes something causing significant damage or destruction, be it financial, physical, or moral. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, its correct usage is well-established, and examples demonstrate its prevalence in news, business, and economic contexts. Though frequently found in formal writing, remember that while alternatives like "devastating" or "destructive" exist, "ruinous" best conveys a sense of something leading to a state of complete decay or collapse. Use it thoughtfully to maximize its impact.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

catastrophic

Emphasizes the scale of damage or disaster, often sudden and overwhelming.

devastating

Highlights the emotional impact and widespread destruction caused.

destructive

Focuses on the act of causing damage or destruction.

calamitous

Implies a disastrous event bringing significant loss and suffering.

damaging

Suggests harm or impairment to something's value or condition.

disastrous

Indicates a very unfortunate and unsuccessful event.

crippling

Highlights the way something severe weakens or disables.

pernicious

Focuses on the subtle, gradual, and harmful effects of something.

deleterious

Implies something harmful or injurious to health or well-being.

detrimental

Highlights the negative impact on something's success or well-being.

FAQs

How can I use "ruinous" in a sentence?

The word "ruinous" is typically used as an adjective to describe something that causes great damage or destruction. For example, "The war had a ruinous effect on the country's economy."

What are some alternatives to "ruinous"?

You can use alternatives such as "catastrophic", "devastating", or "destructive" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "ruinous" and "destructive"?

"Ruinous" implies a state of complete destruction or decay, while "destructive" simply means causing damage. "Ruinous" often suggests a more complete and lasting negative impact.

Is it correct to say something is "near ruinous"?

Yes, the phrase "near ruinous" is grammatically correct and used to describe something that is close to causing complete ruin. This usage is confirmed by Ludwig's analysis of reliable sources.