Meaning & use
prodigal
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Meanings
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Spending money, time or resources freely and carelessly, with no thought for the future.
Grammar: Often placed before a noun (a prodigal heir) or followed by with or of: prodigal with money.
Patterns
- be prodigal with something
- be prodigal of something
The prodigal heir burned through the family fortune in two years.
The government was prodigal with public funds during the boom.
He was prodigal of his talents, taking on far more projects than he could finish.
nouncountableliterary
Someone who wastes their wealth and then comes back, often humbled, to the people they left.
Grammar: Often appears in the phrase the prodigal, usually with a reference to the biblical story.
Patterns
- the returning prodigal
After years abroad, the prodigal came home with empty pockets.
The family welcomed the prodigal with a large dinner.
He felt like a prodigal when he finally walked back into the old office.
Word forms
| plural | prodigals |
|---|---|
| comparative | more prodigal |
| superlative | most prodigal |
Common combinations
- prodigal son
- The prodigal son returned to the village after a decade away.
- prodigal spending
- Prodigal spending left the club deep in debt.
- prodigal with money
- She was never prodigal with money, despite her wealth.
- prodigal lifestyle
- A prodigal lifestyle had cost him his house.
- the prodigal returns
- The prodigal returns, announced his brother as he opened the door.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wasteful
- Wasteful is the plain everyday word and carries no suggestion of grand extravagance, which prodigal often has.
- extravagant
- Extravagant focuses on lavish spending, while prodigal adds the idea of squandering until little is left.
- profligate
- Profligate is close in meaning but also hints at immoral behavior, and it is a stronger criticism.
- spendthrift
- Spendthrift is usually a noun for the person, where prodigal works naturally as an adjective as well.
Opposites
Word family
- prodigality noun
- reckless, wasteful spending
- prodigally adverb
- in a wasteful or lavish way
Commonly confused: prodigal or prodigy? prodigal or returning?
prodigal vs prodigy
A prodigy is an unusually gifted young person; it looks similar but has nothing to do with wasting money.
prodigal vs returning
Many people think prodigal means returning because of the biblical son, but the word itself means wasteful.
Practice
Which sentence uses prodigal in its core meaning?
Choose one answer.
Prodigal means recklessly wasteful, so only the heir wasting his inheritance fits. The prize-winning student describes a prodigy, a tempting confusion.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prodigal”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.