prodigal
Americanadjective
-
wastefully or recklessly extravagant.
prodigal expenditure.
- Synonyms:
- profligate
-
giving or yielding profusely; very generous; lavish (usually followed by of orwith ).
prodigal of smiles; prodigal with praise.
-
lavishly abundant; profuse.
nature's prodigal resources.
noun
-
prodigals
plural
adjective
-
recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money
-
lavish in giving or yielding
prodigal of compliments
noun
Usage
What does prodigal mean? Prodigal generally refers to spending money in a reckless, extravagant way. It is often used in reference to the Biblical parable of the prodigal son.
Synonym Usage
See lavish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of prodigal
First recorded in 1500–10; back formation from prodigality
Explanation
Use the adjective prodigal to describe someone who spends too much money, or something very wasteful. Your prodigal spending on fancy coffee drinks might leave you with no money to buy lunch. Prodigal usually applies to the spending of money. In the Bible, the Prodigal Son leaves home and wastes all his money. The noun forms of the word, meaning "a wasteful person" or "one who returns home after a period of bad behavior," relate to this biblical story. You can also use prodigal to describe something that is very abundant or generous, such as prodigal praise. Prodigal comes from the Latin word prodigere, "to drive away or waste."
Vocabulary lists containing prodigal
Born a Crime
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Twelfth Night
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"Why Read Shakespeare?" Vocabulary from the argument
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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.
See Examples For:
The prodigal will play a part, it seems.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
The prodigal “Daughter From Hell” returns: Gracie Abrams just announced her upcoming tour, and it includes four nights in her hometown of Los Angeles.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
A woman would ask for wisdom in dealing with a prodigal son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
James buried his face in his jersey as he attempted to keep his feelings in check while the Cavaliers played a video tribute to their prodigal hero during a first quarter break.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
It would be the best moment, before the full flush of summer, and in the valley the azaleas would be prodigal of scent, and the blood-red rhododendrons in bloom.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
When the prodigals visited, the Cobbs kept it secret from Jones.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2018
I was disappointed, naturally, in the ways that home-seeking prodigals are, dismayed to find my otherness in tact among my own.
From The Guardian ● Mar. 22, 2013
With true medieval literalism, Artist Saint likes to use genuine prodigals for his Prodigal Sons, combs missions for repentant sinners when one is needed for a window.
From Time Magazine Archive
Combines phone calls and wolf calls, prodigals and playboys, manages to emerge as the season's best of a bad lot of comedy farces.
From Time Magazine Archive
Of the many prodigals whom we have known in our own lifetime, not a few surely have been generous natures, whom it was impossible not to pity, and not hard to love.
From The Hearth-Stone Thoughts upon Home-Life in Our Cities by Osgood, Samuel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
