as in wasteful
given to spending money freely or foolishly
profligate movie producers hoping to create the next blockbuster
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in spendthrift
someone who spends money freely or foolishly
a profligate who could not really afford the grand style he maintained at Monticello, Jefferson died deeply in debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in degenerate
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a drunken profligate, he was given to wretched excess in every aspect of his life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of profligate
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
But profligate spending wasn’t the only way inflation weighed on bonds.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 Mar. 2026
WSJ,
14 Sep. 2022
Still, Republicans have slammed Democrats for profligate spending since retaking the majority, decrying the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief measure passed in March and the possible passage of the Build Back Better Act.
—
Grace Segers,
The New Republic,
15 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for profligate
Adjective
Both sides had chances in a quieter second half but Brentford especially was profligate in front of goal.
—
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
But profligate spending wasn’t the only way inflation weighed on bonds.
—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
The monarchy and the British government, which provides significant financial support for the institution, have long faced a careful balancing act: Both have worked to maintain the pomp and circumstance of the institution while avoiding looking profligate.
—
WSJ,
14 Sep. 2022
Still, Republicans have slammed Democrats for profligate spending since retaking the majority, decrying the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief measure passed in March and the possible passage of the Build Back Better Act.
—
Grace Segers,
The New Republic,
15 Dec. 2021
See All Example Sentences for profligate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profligate
Adjective
-
But the district acknowledged in public meetings and in our interviews that all the water leaking and evaporating along the way is wasteful.
-
That change feeds a French argument over air conditioning, still distrusted by many in much of Europe — dismissed as wasteful or unecological.
Noun
-
The Legislative Analyst’s Office is out with a smashing revelation: the spendthrift state legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom have run up massive deficits that will force the next governor – Democrat, Republican or whatever billionaire Tom Steyer is today – to cut spending dramatically.
-
These restrictions include spendthrift provisions in trust.
Noun
-
But while his recent albums with Tony Seltzer and Subjxct 5 resurfaced some of the dynamism brought by Sporting Life during his younger years as the fire-breathing degenerate who tied Ratking together, that energy takes a backseat here.
-
Now playback all the degenerate, violent entertainment Julianne has happily participated in throughout her career.
Noun
-
Delery ruminates on her wastrel youth.
-
He was raised on Chicago’s North Side by a wastrel father and a mother who struggled to put food on their table.
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.
Noun
-
Twenty-six James Bond films (the 25 Eon joints, plus the prodigal Never Say Never Again) are coming to Netflix this month.
-
Secrets are revealed, prodigals return, intolerances surface and family bonds are tested.
Noun
-
The protagonist of A Love Story is a lover boy, a libertine, a gossip, a flirt.
-
The libertines will begin the film in suits.
Noun
-
With the four big AI spenders forecasting as much as $725 billion in capital expenditures this year, and even more expected in 2027, the outlays are sucking up a larger proportion of free cash flow and prompting them to take on more debt.
-
Fulton County was the highest spender in Georgia, followed by Peach County, Franklin County, and Chattahoochee County.
Cite this Entry
“Profligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profligate. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
