prodigal Hear it!

prodigal Definition

prodi·gal (präd′i gəl)

adjective

  1. exceedingly or recklessly wasteful
  2. extremely generous; lavish prodigal with one's praise
  3. extremely abundant; profuse

Etymology: MFr < L prodigus, prodigal < prodigere, to drive forth or away, waste < pro-, forth + agere, to drive: see pro- & act

noun

a person who wastes his means; spendthrift

prodigal Related Forms
prod′i·gal′·ity (-gal′ə tē) noun pl. -·ties prod′i·gally adverb
prodigal Synonyms

prodigal

modif.

lavish, extravagant, squandering; see wasteful. See syn. study at profuse.

prodigal Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • very: Shuttles are expensive, and players are very prodigal of their use, partly through ignorance and partly through carelessness.

Converse of object

  • have: It serves the rightwing media to have these perpetual prodigals.

Modifies a noun

  • son: He is a lost sheep, a prodigal son, a storm tossed ship in a wild sea.
  • daughter: First thought: lovely, of course, to see the " prodigal daughter " return.
  • return: Wedding Bells for Paul, The prodigal son returns, A trip down Memory Lane.. .
  • child: He receives us, his prodigal children, with a loving embrace.

Used with adjective complement

  • return: I followed to M. Hanson's, who took charge of the returning prodigal.

Preposition: in

  • parable: God makes us go through hard times, like the Prodigal in the parable, to bring us to our senses.
prodigal Quotes

Why should he, with wealth and honour blest, Refuse his age the needful hours of rest? Punish a body which he could not please; Bankrupt of life, yet prodigal of ease? And all to leave what with his toil he won To that unfeathered two-legged thing, a son.

—Dryden,John