Synonyms of prodigal

prodigal 1 of 2

adjective

ˈprä-di-gəl 

as in wasteful

given to spending money freely or foolishly

the prodigal child always spent her allowance the minute she got it

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wasteful
• profligate
• generous
• extravagant
• spendthrift
• unthrifty
• high-rolling
• liberal
• thriftless
• philanthropical
• reckless
• lavish
• squandering
• careless
• philanthropic
• bountiful
• improvident
• munificent
• unselfish
• imprudent
• bighearted
• shortsighted
• heedless
• openhanded
• myopic
• injudicious
• charitable
• openhearted
• unstinting
• incautious
• indulgent
• unsparing
• unwise
• self-indulgent
• freehanded
• wanton
• splurging
• freehearted

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• frugal
• thrifty
• economical
• parsimonious
• conserving
• miserly
• penurious
• spare
• mean
• stingy
• cheap
• tightfisted
• sparing
• wise
• careful
• close
• tight
• niggardly
• prudent
• sensible
• penny-pinching
• pinching
• judicious
• economizing
• skimping
• scrimping
• provident
• stinting
• closefisted
• farsighted
• forehanded
• foresighted
• forethoughtful
• foreseeing

prodigal

2 of 2

noun

as in spendthrift

someone who spends money freely or foolishly

the million-dollar lottery winner was such a prodigal that his windfall was exhausted after only a few years

Synonyms & Similar Words

• spendthrift
• wastrel
• waster
• spender
• dissipate
• profligate
• squanderer
• high roller
• fritterer

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• economizer
• miser
• niggard
• skinflint
• tightwad
• cheapskate
• saver
• piker
• penny-pincher
• scrooge
• conserver

Synonym Chooser

How is the word prodigal distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of prodigal are exuberant, lavish, lush, luxuriant, and profuse. While all these words mean "giving or given out in great abundance," prodigal implies reckless or wasteful lavishness threatening to lead to early exhaustion of resources.

prodigal spending

When might exuberant be a better fit than prodigal?

The words exuberant and prodigal can be used in similar contexts, but exuberant implies marked vitality or vigor in what produces abundantly.

an exuberant imagination

When could lavish be used to replace prodigal?

The synonyms lavish and prodigal are sometimes interchangeable, but lavish suggests an unstinted or unmeasured profusion.

a lavish party

In what contexts can lush take the place of prodigal?

The meanings of lush and prodigal largely overlap; however, lush suggests rich, soft luxuriance.

a lush green lawn

When would luxuriant be a good substitute for prodigal?

In some situations, the words luxuriant and prodigal are roughly equivalent. However, luxuriant suggests a rich and splendid abundance.

a luxuriant beard

When can profuse be used instead of prodigal?

Although the words profuse and prodigal have much in common, profuse implies pouring forth without restraint.

profuse apologies

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prodigal

Adjective

The song itself is written as a series of toasts, imagining returning home after being the prodigal youth. —Meaghan Garvey, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2025

Tombstone was one of the richest mining districts Arizona had ever seen, producing a prodigal fortune in silver and becoming one of the last great boomtowns in the American West. —Richard Grant, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Mar. 2025

Noun

Jérémie stays on as a guest of the baker’s widow (Catherine Frot), but her son (Jean-Baptiste Durand) resents the prodigal’s return. —Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2025

Instead, all the adulation is directed toward Charlotte’s prodigal adopted son, the guy who holds more than his share of team records and is considered by many to be the best player in franchise history. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Jan. 2025