spendthrift

American  

[spend-thrift] / ˈspɛndˌθrɪft /

noun

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

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adjective

1. wastefully extravagant; prodigal.

   Synonyms:

   profligate, improvident, wasteful

spendthrift British  

/ ˈspɛndˌθrɪft /

noun

1. a person who spends money in an extravagant manner

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adjective

1. (usually prenominal) of or like a spendthrift

   spendthrift economies

Etymology

Origin of spendthrift

First recorded in 1595–1605; spend + thrift

Example Sentences

“With a spendthrift trust, creditors and lawsuits cannot access the funds, and your child cannot demand early payouts. Instead, the trustee manages distributions based on your specified terms.”

From MarketWatch • Feb. 18, 2026

No one today any longer wishes to hear jokes about nagging mothers-in-law, spendthrift wives or old jalopies, and the men and women who once told them to hardy plaudits are now forgotten.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Trusts also allow you to put restrictions on how money is spent, which can be important if your heir is a minor child, a spendthrift or someone reliant on public benefits.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 29, 2024

And the frustrations certainly aren’t new to those fans, who have watched this spendthrift organization reach the postseason just once in the past 22 years.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 21, 2023

Because she fell for words like fresh-picked and vine-ripened, our mother was defined as a spendthrift.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris