prodigal

American  

[prod-i-guhl] / ˈprɒd ɪ gəl /

adjective

1. wastefully or recklessly extravagant.

   prodigal expenditure.

   Synonyms:

   profligate

   Antonyms:

   provident , cautious

2. giving or yielding profusely; very generous; lavish (usually followed by of orwith ).

   prodigal of smiles; prodigal with praise.

   Synonyms:

   bounteous , copious

3. lavishly abundant; profuse.

   nature's prodigal resources.

   Synonyms:

   bounteous , copious

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noun

1. a person who is wasteful of their money, possessions, etc.; spendthrift.

   In later years, he was a prodigal of his fortune.

   Synonyms:

   wastrel , waster

prodigal British  

/ ˈprɒdɪɡəl /

adjective

1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money

2. lavish in giving or yielding

   prodigal of compliments

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noun

1. a person who spends lavishly or squanders money

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.

Related Words

See lavish.

Other Word Forms

• prodigality noun
• prodigally adverb

Etymology

Origin of prodigal

First recorded in 1500–10; back formation from prodigality

Example Sentences

Before we meet any characters in “The Family Stone,” Thomas Bezucha’s 2005 holiday dramedy about a close-knit extended family meeting their prodigal son’s uptight new girlfriend for the first time, a cellphone rings.

From Salon

In a troubled time before their rift, my husband, by his own account, had been financially irresponsible, reckless, a prodigal son.

From The Wall Street Journal

Now, nearly a decade and many petitions later, the prodigal wrap returns to the United States with the kind of quiet fanfare usually reserved for cult-favorite lip balms or discontinued sodas.

From Salon

But their journey South is just as much one of deliberate self-destruction, an epic flame-out that is clearly meant to climax once they arrive at their parents’ home — the prodigal child’s disastrous return.

From Los Angeles Times

Fascism was supposed to bring them their Hallmark movie, to make the prodigal liberal daughter give up her career to marry the pickup-driving lunkhead next door.

From Salon