prodigal
/prodigal/
Definition
Adjective:
- Recklessly wasteful, extravagant: Characterized by spending money or resources in a careless, excessive, and wasteful manner.
- Lavish, abundant: Giving or yielding something in great abundance; often used with of.
Noun:
- A recklessly extravagant consumer: A person who spends money or uses resources in a wasteful, extravagant way.
Usage Examples
Adjective:
- The company's prodigal spending on unnecessary luxuries led to its bankruptcy.
- She was prodigal with her praise, complimenting everyone generously.
- He is prodigal of his time, always willing to help others.
Noun:
- After inheriting the fortune, he lived as a prodigal, squandering it all within a few years.
- The parable of the prodigal son teaches about forgiveness and redemption.
Advanced Usage
"Prodigal of": This phrase is used to indicate being very generous or lavish with a specific thing (e.g., praise, advice, favors).
- The teacher was prodigal of encouragement to her students.
Literary/Historical Reference: The term is famously used in the biblical parable "the Prodigal Son" (Luke 15:11-32), which tells the story of a son who wastes his inheritance but is forgiven by his father. This has made "prodigal" often associated with themes of wasteful spending followed by return and forgiveness.
Variants and Related Words
Prodigality (noun): The quality or fact of being prodigal; extravagant wastefulness.
- The prodigality of the royal court was shocking to the common people.
Prodigally (adverb): In a prodigal manner; wastefully.
- He spent his inheritance prodigally.
Synonyms
- Adjective: Wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, improvident, lavish, squandering.
- Noun: Spendthrift, wastrel, squanderer.
Antonyms
- Adjective: Frugal, thrifty, economical, prudent, sparing.
- Noun: Miser, saver, hoarder.
Related Idioms and Phrases
- The prodigal son/daughter: Refers to a person who leaves home, behaves recklessly (especially with money), and later returns. It implies both wastefulness and a subsequent return, often seeking forgiveness.
- After ten years of prodigal living abroad, he returned home like the prodigal son.
- The company welcomed back its prodigal CEO after his failed venture.
Adjective
-
recklessly wasteful
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prodigal in their expenditures
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Noun
-
a recklessly extravagant consumer
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