Prodigal
/ˈprɑːdɪɡəl/
adjectivenounC1
Definition
Prodigal means using money, time, or things in a way that is not careful, often spending too much or wasting them. As a noun, it refers to a person who leaves their home or family but then comes back after some time, usually after making mistakes or learning lessons.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
Wastefully spending money or resources
- •He was prodigal with his inheritance and lost everything quickly.
- •The prodigal use of water during the drought worried the community.
- •Her prodigal habits made it hard for her to save money.
A person who leaves home and returns after a long time (often after mistakes)
- •The prodigal returned to his family after years away.
- •Like the prodigal son, she came back asking for forgiveness.
- •The story tells of a prodigal who learns the value of home.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "prodigal" like "wasteful" (A2 word), but stronger and often with a story of leaving and returning
- ✓Picture someone throwing coins into the air without care, spending all their money quickly
- ✓It’s the feeling when you see someone act without thinking about the future and then feel regret later
- ✓Sounds like "PROD-ih-gal" → imagine a "prod" pushing someone away, and then that person "gallops" back home fast
- ✓Remember the "Prodigal Son" story from the Bible, where a son leaves his family, wastes money, then returns home sorry and forgiven
- ✓NOT like "careful" (saves and plans), "prodigal" is the opposite, careless with resources
- ✓NOT like "generous" (gives to others kindly), "prodigal" is about spending wastefully or recklessly
- ✓When used as a noun, it’s a person who leaves and comes back, unlike just any traveler or visitor
Try Other Words
- •Wasteful: spending or using something carelessly or too much (Use when the focus is on careless use without the story of return)
- •Extravagant: spending more than necessary, often in a showy way (Use when the spending is large and showy)
- •Reckless: acting without care or thought about consequences (Use when behavior is careless and dangerous)
- •Returning: coming back to a place (Use when focusing on the action of coming back home, not spending)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no clear prefix or suffix; "prodigal" is a whole word)
- •Etymology: From Latin "prodigus," meaning wasteful or lavish
- •Historical development: Used in English since the 1500s, often linked to the biblical "Prodigal Son" story
- •Modern usage: Describes wasteful spending or a person who leaves and then returns, often with regret or lessons learned
- •Key insight: The word connects wastefulness with a story of leaving and coming back, making it more than just careless spending
Reflect & Connect
•Can someone be prodigal with things other than money? How would that look in daily life?
•Why do stories about prodigal people who return home feel powerful or important to us?
Fill in the blanks
1.He was prodigal with his inheritance, so he quickly ___ all his money without saving.
2.The prodigal son story teaches about forgiveness when someone ___ after a long absence.
3.Unlike careful savers, prodigal people often spend ___ without thinking about the future.
4.She returned home like a prodigal, feeling ___ and ready to make amends.
5.Prodigal behavior often causes problems because it shows a lack of ___.
6.The community worried about the prodigal use of ___ during the dry season.
7.When someone is called prodigal, it usually means they acted ___ and then came back later.