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spendthrift

American  
[spend-thrift] / ˈspɛndˌθrɪft /

noun

spendthrifts plural
  1. a person who spends possessions or money extravagantly or wastefully; prodigal.


adjective

  1. wastefully extravagant; prodigal.

    Synonyms:
    profligate, improvident, wasteful
spendthrift British  
/ ˈspɛndˌθrɪft /

noun

  1. a person who spends money in an extravagant manner

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. (usually prenominal) of or like a spendthrift

    spendthrift economies

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of spendthrift

First recorded in 1595–1605; spend + thrift

Explanation

A spendthrift person is reckless and wasteful with his money. If you're a spendthrift, you might find yourself in debt. However, it might be fun to have a spendthrift friend who likes to treat you to expensive lunches and lavish gifts. Spendthrift was created by sticking two opposite words together: spend and thrift, which means “savings, wealth.” So a spendthrift spends all of his savings. Spendthrift people are the worst nightmare of retirement planners and Scrooges all over the globe. So unless you want to be called a spendthrift, think twice about your next purchase.

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Vocabulary lists containing spendthrift

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Spendthrift Farm, part of an ownership group that included My Racehorse and Madaket Stables, announced on its web site Wednesday that Monomoy Girl was injured Tuesday while training at the storied track.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 23, 2021

Spendthrift Farm, the legendary Lexington, Ky., thoroughbred ranch Hughes bought a decade and a half ago, said in a statement on its website that he died at his residence there surrounded by family.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2021

One of his more loyal stables, Spendthrift Farm, moved six of its horses from Baffert’s barn.

From New York Times • Jul. 14, 2021

It has led to one farm, Spendthrift of Kentucky, telling the Daily Racing Form it would pause working with Baffert.

From Washington Post • May 14, 2021

Spendthrift, spend′thrift, n. one who spends the savings of thrift: a prodigal.—adj. excessively lavish.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

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