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prodigal

pro·di·gal

UK/ˈpɹɒdɪɡəl/ US/ˈpɹɑdɪɡəl/ uncommon
adjective (3) noun (1)

adjective

1.

very generous

  • “distributed gifts with a lavish hand”
  • “the critics were lavish in their praise”
  • “a munificent gift”
  • “his father gave him a half-dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent”
  • “prodigal praise”
  • “unsparing generosity”
  • “his unstinted devotion”
  • “called for unstinting aid to Britain”
Synonyms
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2.

recklessly wasteful

  • “prodigal in their expenditures”
Synonyms
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3.

marked by rash extravagance

  • “led a prodigal life”
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noun

1.

Origin

From Middle French prodigal, from Late Latin prōdigālis (“wasteful”), from Latin prōdigus (“wasteful, lavish, prodigal”), from prōdigō (“to consume, squander, drive forth”), from prōd- [from prō (“before, forward”)] + agō (“to drive”). Also see unrelated prodigy. The senses of "abandoning a person or cause" and "returning after abandonment" are by allusion to the New Testament story commonly called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son", Luke 15:11-32. See prodigal son.

Phrases

  • prodigal son

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.