Prodigal

/ˈprɒdɪɡəl/

Meaning & Definition

noun

A person who spends money in an extravagant and wasteful way.

After years of living as a prodigal, he returned home with nothing.

adjective

Spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant.

The prodigal nature of his spending led him to financial ruin.

Having or giving something on a lavish scale.

The prodigal feast was something everyone in the town talked about for weeks.

From Middle English prodigal, from Old French prodigal, from Latin prodigus, meaning ‘wasteful’.

prodigal son

A term used to denote someone who wastes resources and then returns, often seeking forgiveness.

wasteful

spending or using resources carelessly

extravagant

lacking restraint in spending money or using resources

lavish

sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious

Money-burner

He acts like a money-burner, always showing off his prodigal lifestyle.

Big spender

He's a big spender at the clubs, making him the prodigal of our group.