ruinous

Ruinous is an adjective describing something that causes ruin or is likely to bring about ruin; it can refer to financial ruin, physical destruction, or severe harm. In economics and policy, ruinous denotes extreme costliness or unsustainability, such as ruinous taxes, ruinous debt, or a ruinous subsidy that jeopardizes public finances. In everyday usage, it is often applied to decisions, plans, or conditions that are likely to produce negative outcomes or failure; a ruinous negotiation or a ruinous policy can leave a party economically weakened or legally exposed. The term carries strong negative connotations and is typically used to express concern about vulnerability to collapse or bankruptcy.

Etymology and usage notes: The word derives from Old French ruine, from Latin ruina, meaning a collapse or wreck. It entered English in the medieval period and remains common in journalism, economics, and political discourse. Ruinous can be complemented by adverbs such as ruinously, and by nouns like ruin; in most contexts, it conveys a judgment about the severity and preventability of the outcome rather than a neutral description.

Common contexts: Ruinous taxes or duties that strain budgets; ruinous interest rates or pricing that undermine competitiveness; ruinous contracts or terms that create excessive risk; ruinous decisions that lead to long-term costs. While potent, ruinous is typically reserved for situations judged to be disproportionately damaging or unsustainable.

See also: ruin, bankruptcy, insolvency, collapse.