adjective

prodigal

PRO-dih-guhl

adjective

Spending money or resources wastefully and extravagantly.

"His prodigal spending left him broke within a year."

Having left and later returned, especially after behaving recklessly; used in the phrase "prodigal son."

"She returned home like the prodigal daughter after years away."

noun

A person who spends money recklessly; a spendthrift.

"He was the family prodigal, always broke by the end of the month."

How to Use Prodigal

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWastefully extravagant with money — or, from the Bible story, someone who left and later comes back.

Common mistake

People often think "prodigal" means "wandering" or "returning" on its own — it really means wastefully extravagant; the "returning" sense only comes from the specific biblical reference.

Easily confused with

prodigy →

Word Forms

more prodigal comparative, prodigals plural, most prodigal superlative

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His _____ spending left him broke within a year.

Etymology

From Late Latin prōdigālis, "wasteful," from Latin prōdigus, "lavish, wasteful." The "returning after abandonment" sense comes from the biblical Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Synonyms

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extravagant improvident imprudent lavish loose-handed profligate reckless spendthrift squandering uneconomical unthrifty wasteful

Antonyms

frugal stingy

Related Words

abandoned abundant wanton redundant lavish stingy extravagant thrifty

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extravagant improvident imprudent lavish loose-handed profligate reckless spendthrift squandering uneconomical unthrifty wasteful