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Causing, or tending to cause, ruin; destructive; baneful; pernicious; as, a ruinous project. After a night of storm so ruinous. Milton.

Frosty; pruinose.

Of the nature of cant; affected; vulgar. To introduce and multiply cant words in the most ruinous corruption in any language. Swift.

nd viewa; accordance in a scheme; harmony; simultaneous action. All these discontens, how ruinous soever, have arisen from the want of a due communication and concert. Swift.

Laid waste; in a ruinous condition; neglected; destroyed; as, desolate altars.

Causing destruction; tending to bring about ruin, death, or devastation; ruinous; fatal; productive of serious evil; mischievous; pernicious; -- often with of or to; as, intemperance is destructive of health; evil examples are destructive to the morals of youth. Time's destructive power. Wordsworth. Destructive distill…

Drunkenness; intoxication by spirituous liquors; inebriety. "Ruinous ebriety." Cowper.

disadvantageous; detrimental. Hooker. His going away . . . was most prejudicial and most ruinous to the king's affairs. Clarendon. -- Prej`u*di"cial*ly, adv. -- Prej`u*di"cial*ness, n.

Destructive; ruinous; disgraceful. [Obs.] -- Shend"ful*ly, adv. [Obs.] Fabyan.

Ready to fall; dilapidated; ruinous; as, a tumble-down house. [Colloq.]

Full of waste; destructive to property; ruinous; as; wasteful practices or negligence; wasteful expenses.

Ruinous; destructive. [Obs.]