profligate Definition
- 1recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources
- 2licentious; dissolute
Using profligate: Examples
Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "profligate" can be used in various situations through the following examples!
Example
He was profligate with his money and spent it all on luxuries.
Example
The company's profligate spending led to its downfall.
Example
She led a profligate lifestyle, partying every night and sleeping around.
Example
The government was criticized for its profligate use of public funds.
profligate Synonyms and Antonyms
Synonyms for profligate
Antonyms for profligate
Idioms Using profligate
a son who is wasteful, reckless, or dissolute
Example
He was worried that his profligate son would squander his inheritance.
habits characterized by wastefulness, extravagance, or recklessness
Example
His profligate habits included drinking, gambling, and womanizing.
ways characterized by wastefulness, extravagance, or recklessness
Example
She was known for her profligate ways, spending money on designer clothes, jewelry, and exotic vacations.
Phrases with profligate
behavior characterized by wastefulness, extravagance, or recklessness
Example
His profligate behavior led to his financial ruin.
spending money recklessly or wastefully
Example
The profligate spending of the previous administration led to a huge budget deficit.
a lifestyle characterized by excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures
Example
Her profligate lifestyle eventually caught up with her, and she died of a drug overdose.
Origins of profligate
from Latin 'profligatus', past participle of 'profligare', meaning 'overthrow, ruin'
Summary: profligate in Brief
The term 'profligate' [ˈprɒflɪɡət] refers to someone or something that is recklessly extravagant or wasteful in the use of resources, or licentious and dissolute. It can be used to describe people, behaviors, or spending habits, as in 'She led a profligate lifestyle, partying every night and sleeping around.' 'Profligate' has formal synonyms like 'extravagant' and 'wasteful,' and informal ones like 'spendthrift' and 'prodigal.'
