Ruinous
mediumNegative toneROO-ih-nus
adjective
Definition
Disastrous; causing great damage or destruction
Memory hook
Leading to RUIN — disastrous and destructive consequences.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The ruinous war devastated the economy.”
“His ruinous spending habits led to bankruptcy.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The ______ war devastated the economy.”
Show answer
ruinous
Synonyms
Antonyms
Categories
GRE Tip
Ruinous is a medium-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "devastating" or "catastrophic" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "beneficial".
Related GRE Words
catastrophic
Involving or causing sudden great damage or suffering
apocalyptic
Describing or prophesying the complete destruction of the world
calamitous
Involving or causing a calamity; disastrous
destructive
Causing great damage or harm; highly damaging
baneful
Causing harm or ruin; pernicious; destructive
pernicious
Having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way
Master ruinous and 1,000+ GRE words
Learn through stories, practice with real GRE questions, and never forget with spaced repetition.