PRODIGALS Synonyms: 19 Similar and Opposite Words

prodigals

noun

plural of prodigal

as in spendthrifts

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

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodigals

Noun

Foster died destitute in 1864, after falling and injuring himself in the bathroom of a hotel on the Bowery, becoming perhaps the first of many famous wastrels in American popular music.

— David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

Definition of wastrels

Noun

In an election defined by affordability concerns, a climate group is emerging as one of the biggest independent spenders in support of Democrats this year.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
Why is one of the rich world's biggest public spenders again on fire?

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of spenders

Noun

On the other, evidence suggests this pair of habitual time-wasters were commonly found on the floor, running laughter through a Yamaha SPX90 effects processor for kicks and strumming the same note for 40-odd minutes.

— Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Include categories for deep work, admin tasks, communication, and time wasters.

— Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026

Definition of wasters

Noun

Her main rival for that was the raucous set from George Wallace, who partly brought the house down with a bit about jokes for the high rollers in the front row versus the nosebleed seats.

— Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
Throughout the year, these frugal teams have accomplished quite a bit while matching up against the league’s high rollers.

— Isaac Tellechea, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of high rollers

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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prodigally

prodigals

prodigies

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“Prodigals.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodigals. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of prodigals

noun

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