English Explanatory Dictionary

profligate

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
  2. Immoral; abandoned to vice.
  3. Profligated: routed, overcome, driven away.
  4. Overthrown, ruined.
noun
  1. An abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
  2. An overly wasteful or extravagant individual.
verb
  1. To drive away; to overcome.

Pronunciation

/ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/ prŏʹflĭgət /ˈpɹɑːflɪɡət/ en-us-profligate-adj.ogg /ˈpɹɒflɪɡeɪt/ prŏʹflĭgāt /ˈpɹɑːflɪɡeɪt/ en-us-profligate-v.ogg

Word forms

profligate more profligate most profligate profligates profligating profligated

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1535, the verb in 1542; borrowed from Latin prōflīgātus, perfect passive participle of prōflīgō (“to strike down, cast down”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an 3)), from prō- (“forward”) + flīgō (“to strike, dash”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix). Common participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Synonyms

extravagant wasteful prodigal improvident imprudent lavish loose-handed profligate reckless spendthrift squandering uneconomical unthrifty immoral licentious wastrel big spender dingthrift neve overspender saprophage scattergood slipstring slipthrift sparkler spend-all splurge splurger squanderer unthrift waster wastegood wastethrift

Related words

profligation

Derived words

profligacy profligately profligateness profligatory unprofligate
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