Profligate
/ˈprɒflɪɡɪt/
adjectivenounC2
Definition
Profligate means using money, time, or things in a way that wastes them without care. It can also mean acting very badly or without thinking about the rules or morals. This word is often used to describe people who are very wasteful or live in a wild, uncontrolled way.
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See It in Action
Wasteful use of money or resources
- •The profligate spending of the company led to its bankruptcy.
- •He was known for his profligate lifestyle, buying expensive cars he never needed.
- •Governments sometimes act profligate with public money, causing problems.
Reckless or immoral behavior (less common)
- •The novel described the profligate ways of the main character, who ignored all rules.
- •She lived a profligate life, careless about the consequences of her actions.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "profligate" like "wasteful" (A2 word), but much stronger—it means spending or using a lot without any care at all.
- ✓Picture someone throwing money out of a window or leaving lights on in every room all day.
- ✓It's the feeling when you see someone carelessly breaking things or spending too much without thinking.
- ✓Sounds like "PROF-lig-it" → imagine a "professional" at wasting everything quickly and without care.
- ✓In stories, profligate characters are often rich people who lose all their money because they do not save or think ahead.
- ✓NOT like "careful" (someone who saves or plans), profligate is the opposite—very careless and reckless.
- ✓NOT like "frugal" (someone who saves money), profligate spends freely and without limits.
- ✓NOT like "generous" (giving to others), profligate wastes on themselves without good reason.
Try Other Words
- •Wasteful: using resources badly or without care (Use when the waste is less extreme or formal)
- •Extravagant: spending more than necessary, often in a showy way (Use when focusing on spending money in a rich, showy style)
- •Reckless: acting without thinking about danger or consequences (Use when focusing on careless behavior, not just money)
- •Imprudent: not wise or careful (Use when emphasizing poor judgment)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "pro-" (forward, intensive) + "fligate" (from Latin "fligere" meaning to strike or waste)
- •Etymology: From Latin "profligatus," past participle of "profligare," meaning to overthrow or ruin by wasting
- •Historical development: Originally meant ruin or destruction by careless action; later used for extreme wastefulness of money or resources
- •Modern usage: Used mostly in formal or literary English to describe very wasteful or immoral actions or lifestyles
- •Interesting fact: Often used in economics or literature to describe bad spending habits or moral decay
Reflect & Connect
•Can being profligate ever have a positive side, or is it always negative? Why?
•How does society view profligate behavior today compared to the past?
Fill in the blanks
1.The company's profligate use of funds ___ the project before it even started.
2.Living a profligate lifestyle often causes ___ problems and debts.
3.Unlike careful savers, profligate people tend to ___ money without thinking.
4.The government was criticized for its profligate spending ___ public resources.
5.In stories, a profligate character usually ignores ___ and lives only for pleasure.
6.She was called profligate because she spent money ___ on unneeded luxuries.
7.When someone is profligate, it often means they do not ___ about the future consequences.