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
Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Cash for rent – Conservatives generally speaking hate the idea of profligate spending on social benefits, seeing them as entitlements that create indolence and a constituency for bureaucracy.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
New York Times, 5 Jan. 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
That is often viewed by us profligate, protein-burning, fat-loving energy spendthrifts as an inferior form of metabolism.
—Stephen S. Hall, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
Cash for rent – Conservatives generally speaking hate the idea of profligate spending on social benefits, seeing them as entitlements that create indolence and a constituency for bureaucracy.
—Roger Valdez, Forbes.com, 3 Apr. 2025
Noun
After years of profligate spending, the city had dwindling tax revenues and huge budget deficits; was low on cash for operating expenses; and, unable to borrow more, faced horrendous personnel layoffs, service cuts and bond defaults.
—New York Times, 5 Jan. 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
-
Elon Musk calls Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ wasteful Elon Musk criticized President Donald Trump’s sprawling One Big Beautiful BIll as wasteful in a new interview amid signs the epic bromance between the man in the White House and the world’s richest man is fading.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
28 May 2025
-
Emerging narrative or worldview: Much of this Federal funding is wasteful and supports faculty and research with biases inimical to the values of many citizens.—
Rick Miller,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Finally, the claimant failed to prove that the spendthrift provision in the trust, which is critical to the protection the trust provided, should be invalidated.—
Martin Shenkman,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
-
That is often viewed by us profligate, protein-burning, fat-loving energy spendthrifts as an inferior form of metabolism.—
Stephen S. Hall,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Novak: The fact that this group of degenerates, these bloodsucking, mass-murdering vampires and wannabe vampires, [could be] so lovable is amazing.—
Michael Ordoña,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
-
Those who hold advanced degrees in mathematics and analytics, or your favorite degenerate gambler, know any piece of datum is only reliant on the trove of data that occurred previously.—
Bill Speros,
Boston Herald,
7 May 2025
Noun
-
Ridley, traumatized by the cancer death of her mother and considered mostly a wastrel by those around her for pursuing a degree in the dread-inducing major of art history, knows a thing or two about the mythology behind these kindly rainbow-spewing creatures.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
-
Henry Muck, suitably nicknamed Prince Hal by his family and friends, may be Industry’s version of the ultimate privileged wastrel.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2024
Noun
-
Just when things are looking up — a haughty British couple leaves this daughter of Oxfordshire a handsome tip — the dinner pervert turns up for his morning coffee.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
23 Mar. 2025
-
Outside the courthouse on Friday, Toner’s lawyer made a brief statement about his pervert client.—
Howie Carr,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Secrets are revealed, prodigals return, intolerances surface and family bonds are tested.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The food today is extraordinarily good and prodigal.—
Jeff Kleinman,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Flattening and Excavation One of the best ways to eliminate existing ant hills is to level the ant hill with a rake or shovel.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
21 May 2025
-
The cabinet measures approximately 53 inches wide, 64 inches tall, and 17 inches deep, offering ample storage space for tool boxes, shovels, rakes, leaf blowers, potting soil, and more.—
Maggie Horton,
People.com,
12 May 2025
Noun
-
Who is a time waster and who is your next biggest client?—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
-
For example, default settings for focus time added blocking of sites in the categories Shopping, Tabloids, and Time wasters.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
13 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Profligate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profligate. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share